I 


liE^H 


DO' 


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^^/(?RiA.  sl-^^# 


BR  115  .S6  D5  1922 

Diefendorf,  Dorr 

Frank. 

The  Christian  in 

social 

relationships 

LIFE  AND  SERVICE  SERIES 


STUDIES  IN  THE  PARABLES  OF  JESUS 
HALFORD  E.  LUCCOCK 

HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 
RALPH  WELLES  KEELER 

AMOS,  THE  PROPHET  OF  A  NEW  ORDER 
LINDSAY  B.  LONGACRE 

ELEMENTS  OF  PERSONAL  CHRISTL^NITY 
WILLIAM  S.  MITCHELL 

THE  CHRISTIAN  IN  SOCLA.L 

RELATIONSHIPS 

DORR  FRANK  DIEFENDORF 


LIFE  AND  SERVICE  SERIES 

Edited  by  HENRY  H.  MEYER 

The  Christian  in  Social 
Relationships 


By 
DORR  FRANK  DIEFENDORF 


THE  METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN 

NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


Copyright,  1922,  by 
DORR  FRANK  DIEFENDORF 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America. 


The  Bible  text  used  in  this  volume  ia  taken  from  the" American  Standard 
Edition  of  the  Revised  Bible,  copyright,  1901,  by  Thomas  Nelson  &  Sana,  and 
ifl  used  by  permission. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Life  and  Service  Series 6 

I.  The  Social  Emphasis  in  Christianity 7 

11.  The  Christian  and  Public  Education 16 

III.  The  Christian  and  the  Wage  Problem 26 

IV.  The  Christian  and  Working  Conditions  . .  36 
V.  The  Christian  and  Public  Health 45 

VI.  The  Christian  and  Public  Amusement  ....  54 

VII.  The  Christian  and  Commercialized  Evil.  .  63 
VIII.  The    Christian    and    the    Treatment    of 

Criminals 72 

IX.  The  Christian's  Political  Responsibility  .  81 

X.  The  Christian  and  AVorld  Progress 90 

XI.  The  Christian  and  World  Brotherhood.  . .  99 

XII.  The  Christian  and  the  Efficient  Church  .  108 

XIII.  The  Kingdom  of  God  a  Practical  Ideal.  . .  117 


LIFE  AND  SERVICE  SERIES 

Incheasingly  both  young  people  and  adults  in  the  Sun- 
day school  are  manifesting  an  interest  in  special  study 
courses.  As  the  number  of  organized  classes  has  grown 
and  their  attendance  increased  the  desire  frequently 
has  been  expressed  for  a  variety  of  courses  from  which 
choice  may  be  made.  In  response  to  this  demand  the 
Life  and  Service  Series,  in  common  with  a  number  of 
other  series  of  studies,  is  offered. 

It  will  be  noted  that  this  series  in  itself  offers  con- 
siderable variety  in  subject  matter  of  courses.  It  includes 
studies  in  selected  portions  of  the  Bible,  both  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  Christian  doctrinal  teachings,  practical  ethics, 
social  service,  and  other  subjects  of  special  interest. 

The  present  volume  is  one  of  a  group  of  four  which  may 
be  studied  to  advantage  in  consecutive  order  as  follows: 
Elements  of  Personal  Christianity;  Characteristics  of  the 
Christian  Life;  The  Christian  in  Social  Relationships; 
Fundamentals  for  Daily  Living.  Taken  together,  the  four 
constitute  a  years  study  on  the  Christian  in  Daily  Life, 
a  fairly  comprehensive  series  of  studies  in  foundation 
principles  and  teachings  of  Christianity  applicable  to  pres- 
ent-day conditions.  Studied  either  as  one  of  this  group 
of  courses,  as  suggested,  or  separately  as  an  independent 
short  course,  it  is  believed  that  The  Christian  in  Social 
Relationships  will  be  found  to  be  an  informing,  thought- 
provoking  and  religiously  stimulating  discussion.  It 
should  aid  earnest  men  and  women  in  discovering  what 
Christianity  teaches  as  to  social  duties  and  responsibilities. 

The  Editors, 
6 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  SOCIAL  EMPHASIS  IN  CHRISTIANITY 

For  reference  and  study:  Isa.  1.  10-17;  Matt.  7.  1-12; 
25.  31-46;  Luke  10.  25-37;  16.  19-31;  Acts  2.  44-47; 
4.  32-37;  Rom.  13.  8-10;  1  Cor.  12.  12-31. 

The  Example  and  Teaching  of  Jesus 

1.  Jesus  our  Saviour. — Jesus  was  not  so  much  a  re- 
former as  a  Saviour.  His  first  concern  was  with  the 
individual.  But  the  individual  is  a  member  of  a  family, 
he  is  the  citizen  of  a  community,  he  belongs  to  a  church, 
he  has  innumerable  associations  in  the  world  of  business 
and  of  social  life.  He  never  stands  alone.  If  he  is  to  be 
saved,  the  social  environment  of  which  he  is  a  part  must 
also  be  saved.  If  the  society  of  which  he  is  a  part  is  saved, 
"his  own  salvation  becomes  just  that  much  more  certain. 

Jesus  was  trained  in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures.  As 
a  member  of  a  devout  Jewish  household  his  mind  was 
steeped  in  the  teachings  of  the  prophets  and  sages  of  his 
race.  Such  a  passage  as  Isa.  1.  10-17  would  point  him 
away  from  empty  formalism  in  religion  toward  a  life  of 
human  service.  When  the  prophet,  as  the  spokesman  of 
God,  says,  "Put  away  the  evil  of  your  doings  from  before 
mine  eyes;  cease  to  do  evil;  learn  to  do  well;  seek  jus- 
tice, relieve  the  oppressed,  judge  the  fatherless,  plead  for 
the  widow,"  we  hear  a  note  that  echoes  and  reechoes  in 
the  message  of  Jesus.  In  such  words  the  prophet  has  the 
vision  of  a  redeemed  society  before  his  mind.  Such  toacli- 
ing  forms  the  background  of  tlie  ministry  and  message  of 
Jesus. 

2.  The  method  of  Jesus. — The  New  Testament  shows  us 
that  Jesus  delivered  few  if  any  formal  discourses  or  ser- 
mons. His  favorite  method  of  teaching  was  to  tell  a 
story.     The*  most  of  his  saving  principles  and  ideals  are 

7 


8  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

thus  set  forth.  But  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  we  have 
an  utterance  that  seems  to  form  an  exception.  Here  we 
have  a  more  extended  discourse  dealing  with  the  principles 
and  purposes  of  the  kingdom  he  came  to  establish  in  the 
earth. 

Matt.  7.  1-12  is  a  typical  section  of  this  sermon.  No- 
tice how  in  this  passage  we  have  echoes  of  the  words  just 
quoted  from  Isaiah.  But  also  notice  how  much  further 
Jesus  goes.  Here  is  the  proclamation  of  the  Golden  Rule. 
And  while  we  must  admit  that  this  rule  has  not  yet  been 
very  widely  applied  to  life,  progress  has  been  and  is  being 
constantly  made.  Eecently  a  splendid  Canadian  soldier 
gave  some  of  his  life  blood  to  save  an  Austrian  who  a 
short  time  before  had  confronted  him  as  his  enemy.  And 
we  are  told  that  this  was  done  after  several  of  the  Aus- 
trian's own  kinsmen  had  refused  to  make  this  sacrifice. 
It  is  this  practical  application  of  Jesus'  teaching  about 
doing  to  others  as  we  would  that  they  should  do  unto  us 
which  helps  forward  the  work  of  the  regeneration  of  human 
society. 

The  story  of  the  good  Samaritan  and  the  scene  of  the 
Last  Judgment,  as  portrayed  by  Jesus,  emphasize  the 
social  aspects  of  his  teaching.  The  Jew  hated  the  Samari- 
tan and  the  Samaritan  hated  the  Jew.  But  in  the  gospel 
of  love,  the  gospel  of  redemption,  there  is  no  place  for 
the  kind  of  disposition  that  leads  us  to  neglect  to  perform 
the  services  we  owe  our  fellow  men.  The  good  Samaritan 
binds  up  the  wounds  of  his  unfortunate  fellow  traveler 
and  provides  for  him  as  if  he  were  his  dearest  friend.  But 
very  recent  history  shows  us  how  hard  it  is  to  cultivate 
and  manifest  this  spirit.  A  good  Christian  woman  re- 
cently remarked  of  the  starving  women  and  children  of  a 
former  enemy  countr}^,  "Let  them  starve:  they  have 
brought  it  all  on  themselves."  Even  patriotism  must  be 
brought  into  conformity  with  the  principles  of  Jesus,  or 
else  it  retards  instead  of  helping  the  building  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  the  earth. 

Are  there  not  in  your  own  community  some  striking 
instances  of  what  happens  when  persons  take  seriously  the 
words  of  Jesus,  '^Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these 


EMPHASIS  IN  CHRISTIANITY  9 

my  brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did  it  unto  me"? 
Groups  of  Christian  workers  have  organized  themselves 
about  these  words  and,  week  by  week,  carry  on  beneficent 
activities  the  value  of  which  is  much  greater  than  can  be 
measured.  Can  you  not  think  of  many  instances  in  your 
own  life  in  which  these  words  have  led  you  to  do  what 
otherwise  you  might  have  neglected? 

Jesus  did  what  he  exhorted  others  to  do,  and  more. 
His  treatment  of  Zacchaeus,  his  interview  with  the  Samari- 
tan woman,  his  way  of  dealing  with  the  Syrophoenician 
woman,  are  striking  examples  of  his  own  practice. 

3.  The  kingdom  of  God. — The  social  message  of  Jesus 
culminates  in  his  teaching  concerning  the  kingdom  of 
God.  It  is  not  our  purpose  to  consider  that  teaching  here. 
More  than  a  hundred  times,  even  in  the  brief  record  we 
have,  the  words  "kingdom  of  God,"  or  their  equivalent, 
are  used  by  Jesus.  But  if  God  is  to  rule,  he  must  have 
subjects.  The  subjects  of  his  rule  must  live  in  social 
relations  with  each  other.  There  are  interests  they  have 
in  common  and  activities  they  follow  in  common.  There 
are  sins  that  cannot  be  traced  to  one  person  here  or  an- 
other there,  but  which  belong  to  the  whole  group  involved. 
There  is  righteousness  that  must  be  achieved  in  common 
effort.  The  gospel  of  the  Kingdom  is  the  gospel  of  the 
common  life.    It  affects  and  includes  every  one  of  us. 

The  Example  and  Teaching  of  the  Early  Chuech 

1.  After  Jesus,  Paul. — The  apostle  to  the  Gentiles  had 
much  to  do  with  the  development  and  trend  of  early 
Christianity.  After  his  conversion  on  the  Damascus  road 
he  gave  his  life  to  the  work  of  carrying  the  message  of 
Jesus  near  and  far.  He  was  especially  solicitous  for  those 
outside  the  pale  of  Judaism,  although  he  never  over- 
looked the  members  of  his  own  race. 

It  is  true  that  Paul  was  deeply  concerned  with  the 
gospel  as  a  system  of  thought.  He  was  himself  a  thinker 
and  he  devoted  a  large  part  of  his  life  to  building  up  a 
system  of  truth  which  would  stand  the  most  searching 
intellectual  testing.  But  in  all  his  most  striking  utter- 
ances we  have  the  mind  of  his  Master  and  ours. 


10  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

In  Rom.  13.  8-10,  after  an  enumeration  of  the  com- 
mandments that  seek  to  regulate  our  conduct  toward  our 
"neighbor/^  Paul  sums  up,  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself  .  .  .  love  ...  is  the  fulfillment  of  the 
law.^' 

In  the  love  poem  of  the  New  Testament  we  have  an 
outburst  from  the  fervent  heart  of  this  Christ-filled  man 
which  far  surpasses  any  other  similar  utterance.  The 
social  gospel  finds  its  creed  in  1  Cor.  13.  Although  faith 
and  hope  abide,  the  place  of  primacy  belongs  to  love.  But 
love  is  a  social  virtue;  it  grows  out  of  the  relations  we 
bear  to  each  other.  Its  absence  indicates  breakdown  and 
failure.  Its  presence  indicates  the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit 
of  Christ. 

2.  The  early  church. — The  teaching  of  Jesus  and  Paul 
was  followed  with  great  fidelity  by  the  early  church.  The 
members  of  this  new  fellowship  regarded  themselves  as 
brethren  and  they  obeyed  the  law  of  brotherhood  as  they 
understood  it. 

Two  striking  passages  stand  out  from  the  incomplete 
record.  Acts  2.  44-47  and  4.  32-37  bring  before  us  a  pic- 
ture of  almost  id3'llic  conditions.  New  Testament  schol- 
ars are  not  entirely  agreed  as  to  the  exact  interpretation 
of  these  passages.  But  it  is  perfectly  plain  that  if  any 
member  of  that  early  Christian  community  suffered  want 
or  need,  all  the  others  felt  obligated  to  relieve  it.  They 
did  not  wait  for  any  outside  agency  to  act  for  them.  Their 
love  for  each  other  regulated  the  use  and  administration 
of  their  possessions. 

They  recognized  the  dangers  of  worldly  possessions. 
Then,  as  now,  things  might  easily  take  the  place  of  more 
important  considerations.  Jesus  had  said,  "It  is  easier 
for  a  camel  to  go  through  a  needle's  eye,  than  for  a  rich 
man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God."  The  early  Chris- 
tians took  these  words  seriously  and  were  minded  not  to 
lose  their  souls  through  selfish  devotion  to  worldly  goods. 
Brotherhood  meant  more  to  them  than  selfish  possession. 
Human  service  was  better  than  isolated  enjoyment  and 
ease. 

They  filled  the  life  of  their  community  with  the  spirit 


EMPHASIS  IN  CHRISTIANITY  11 

of  Jesus — "the  love  that  never  tires  in  the  endless  tasks  of 
kindness." 

Should  we  try  to  reproduce  the  exact  conditions  we 
find  described  in  these  passages,  or  is  there  a  better  way  to 
follow  the  example  of  the  early  church?  Have  you  ever 
seen  a  Christian  community  trying  as  seriously  as  did  this 
early  community  to  practice  the  social  gospel  among  its 
own  members,  not  to  speak  of  those  outside? 

Outstanding  Social  Movements  in  Christianity 

1.  Throughout  the  centuries. — The  Christian  Church 
has  always  had  a  social  outlook.  In  its  most  selfish  periods 
it  has  never  entirely  forgotten  the  social  message  of  the 
Great  Teacher.  Nor  has  it  failed  in  some  measure  to  prac- 
tice this  teaching.  There  has  always  been  great  possibility 
of  improvement,  and  there  is  to-day.  But  the  centuries 
are  filled  with  social  movements  that  have  sought  the  re- 
demption of  humanity. 

Christian  missions  arose  and  have  been  continued  in 
response  to  the  command  of  Jesus  to  evangelize  the  whole 
world.  And  from  the  first  they  have  sought  to  redeem 
the  whole  life  of  individuals  and  nations.  There  has  been 
far  more  narrowness  in  the  thinking  of  some  Christians 
regarding  Christian  missions  than  in  the  missions  them- 
selves. From  the  apostle  Paul  to  the  last  young  man  or 
young  woman  who  went  out  under  the  auspices  of  the  Cen- 
tenary movement  life  has  been  given  for  the  purpose  of 
helping  to  build  a  world-order  in  which  Christ  shall  rule. 

The  biography  of  Dr.  W.  J.  Grenfell  reads  like  a  tale 
of  adventure.  And  such  it  is — an  adventure  for  God  and 
mankind.  There  in  Labrador,  among  the  deep-sea  fisher 
folk,  a  new  way  of  life  has  been  established,  and  it  would 
hardly  be  wide  of  the  truth  to  say  that  a  new  order  of 
civilization  has  been  ushered  in.  And  it  may  be  well  to 
note  in  passing  that  it  was  wdien  Spurgeon  was  one  night 
urging  his  hearers  to  take  their  religion  as  the  serious  con- 
cern of  their  lives  that  this  noble  servant  of  the  cross  regis- 
tered his  decision  that  has  led  to  such  heroic  doing  in  the 
name  of  Christ. 

2.  Mediaeval  times. — Monasticism   and   the   mendicant 


12  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

orders  of  the  Middle  Ages  have  something  to  teach  us 
concerning  the  application  of  Christian  principles  of  serv- 
ice to  the  world  in  which  we  live. 

Benedict  of  Nursia,  born  in  480,  founded  the  order  that 
bears  his  name.  Prayer,  fasting,  manual  labor,  and  learn- 
ing were  the  occupation  of  the  members  of  this  order. 
"The  Benedictines  were  the  great  road  makers  of  the 
Middle  Ages.  They  cleared  away  the  forests,  drained 
dikes  and  filled  in  swamps,  and  reclaimed  to  fertility  val- 
uable lands.  They  were  also  the  pioneers  of  agriculture. 
...  In  a  turbulent  and  warlike  time  they  were  the 
teachers  of  the  dignity  of  labor  and  the  fruitful  arts  of 
peace.  The  reclaiming  of  the  Eiver  Thames  to  commerce 
and  history  is  a  notable  instance  of  the  triumph  of  the 
'Benedictines.^  ^' 

Francis  of  Assisi  was  aroused  from  his  selfish  way  of 
living  by  hearing  those  words  of  Christ:  "And  as  ye  go, 
preach,  saying,  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand.  Heal 
the  sick,  raise  the  dead,  cleanse  the  lepers,  cast  out  de- 
mons.^' The  members  of  the  order  he  founded  followed 
him  in  his  life  of  poverty  and  unrewarded  service.  With 
his  own  hands  he  ministered  to  the  lepers,  as  did  Father 
Damien  in  a  later  day.  Sabatier  says  of  him,  "He  went 
not  to  the  whole,  who  needed  no  physician,  but  to  the  sick, 
the  forgotten,  the  disdained/' 

3.  The  Protestant  Reformation. — We  do  not  ordinarily 
think  of  the  Protestant  Eeformation  as  primarily  a  social 
movement.  Luther's  chief  concern  was  with  the  individual. 
Eeligious  freedom  from  the  intolerable  yoke  of  ecclesias- 
tical oppression  and  abuse  was  his  aim.  Yet  by  asserting 
the  essential  equality  of  all  men  before  God  he  was  true  to 
the  principles  of  social  values,  which  underlie  all  Christian 
sacrifice  and  service.  If  some  men  are  free,  while  others 
are  bound,  the  kingdom  of  God  cannot  come.  If  some  are 
to  have  privileges  that  others  cannot  enjoy,  peace  and  good 
will  cannot  be  permanently  established. 

4.  Methodist  beginnings. — The  Wesleyan  Eevival  is  one 
of  the  outstanding  movements  of  history.  John  Wesley 
possessed  the  social  vision  of  the  gospel.  No  man  of  his 
day  surpassed  him  in  this  respect;  few  in  any  day  have 


EMPHASIS  IN  CHRISTIANITY  13 

gone  beyond  him.  Many  of  his  followers  have  trailed  on 
far  behind  him  in  spite  of  the  education  and  enlightenment 
of  later  times. 

Wesley  always  dealt  with  the  individual,  but  he  told 
him  that  it  was  unthinkable  that  he  should  go  to  heaven 
alone.  Redemption  began  in  the  heart  of  the  believer,  but 
it  included  all  human  relationships  within  its  purpose. 
Consequently,  it  is  not  strange  to  read  that  Wesley  estab- 
lished the  first  dispensary  in  London,  that  he  founded  a 
home  for  the  poor,  that  he  organized  a  system  of  relief  for 
the  industrious  poor  who  were  being  bled  by  the  money 
lenders,  that  he  instituted  a  Strangers'  Society  to  minis- 
ter to  the  friendless. 

The  Centenary  movement  of  the  present  time,  in  its  out- 
reach toward  all  lands  and  all  kinds  and  conditions  of 
men,  is  true  to  the  spirit  of  the  founder  of  our  branch  of 
the  Christian  Church. 

The  Moderit  Emphasis 

1.  The  new  social  emphasis. — In  recent  years  the  social 
emphasis  of  Christianity  has  been  stressed  as  never  before. 
There  have  been  many  reasons  for  this.  The  mind  of  the 
Master  has  been  recovered.  For  many  years  much  of  the 
best  thought  of  the  church  was  concerned  with  controversy 
over  debatable  intellectual  and  theological  questions.  But 
with  the  development  of  industrial  conditions  throughout 
the  world  and  the  greater  pressure  of  economic  and  closely 
allied  questions  upon  all  persons  a  natural  shift  of  interest 
took  place.  And  then,  too,  with  the  increase  in  the  facili- 
ties of  communication  and  travel  the  world  became  a  much 
smaller  place.  We  saw  that  we  were  all  much  more  closely 
related  to  each  other  than  many  had  supposed.  Infected 
rats  from  foreign  countries  could  be  guarded  against,  but 
it  was  better  to  go  to  the  sources  of  infection  and  do  away 
with  them. 

The  pouring  in  through  our  gates  of  multitudes  of  im- 
migrants accentuated  the  social  aspect  of  the  gospel.  How 
could  we  expect  to  build  a  nation  out  of  these  diverse 
strains  and  elements  unless  a  Christianizing  process  as 
well  as  an  Americanizing  process  was  carried  on? 


14  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

Then  came  the  Great  War,  and  everything  in  the  civil- 
ized world  was  changed.  Men  who  had  been  sleeping  sud- 
denly woke  up  to  the  fact  that  apart  from  the  principles 
and  ideals  of  Jesus  there  is  no  hope  for  a  humane  order  of 
life.  Peace  and  brotherhood  have  no  chance  in  the  earth 
unless  Jesus  is  Lord.  Where  grace  abounds,  sin  will  much 
more  abound  unless  Jesus  is  Saviour.  Eedemption  and 
the  fortunes  of  all  men  in  the  future  are  interlocked.  The 
whole  of  human  society  and  the  whole  of  the  individual  life 
are  involved. 

Questions  of  right  and  wrong  are  at  stake  in  all  such 
human  interests  and  activities  as  education,  health,  amuse- 
ment, housing,  and  labor  conditions.  The  message  of 
Jesus  furnishes  us  with  the  principles  by  which  our  think- 
ing, planning,  and  action  must  be  guided  as  we  seek  for 
the  right.  If  we  neglect  this  message  we  are  sure  to  go 
wrong.  Unfortunately,  there  are  still  many  persons  in 
the  world  who  do  not  much  care  about  these  matters  be- 
cause they  do  not  realize  how  deeply  they  themselves  are 
involved.  But  that  number  is  diminishing.  The  social 
gospel  is  challenging  the  interest  of  the  keenest  minds 
and  the  warmest  hearts  throughout  the  breadth  of  the 
entire  Christian  communion.  Not  to  be  interested  is  to 
confess  that  the  procession  has  moved  forward  and  left 
us  behind.  To  be  interested  is  so  far  to  give  evidence  of  the 
spirit  of  Jesus. 

2.  The  fellowship  of  the  churches. — Nearly  all  the  great 
Christian  communions  have  taken  a  forward-looking  atti- 
tude toward  the  social  proclamation  of  the  gospel. 

Methodist,  Presbyterian,  Baptist,  Congregational,  Epis- 
copalian, and  Roman  Catholic  have  found  a  certain  meas- 
ure of  unity,  if  not  union,  in  their  social  creeds  and  simi- 
lar utterances. 

More  than  thirty  of  the  larger  Christian  denominations 
have  become  affiliated  in  the  Federal  Council  of  the 
Churches  of  Christ  in  America.  The  platform  of  this 
Council  stands  for  the  fair  and  fearless  application  of  the 
teachings  of  Jesus  to  modern  conditions  and  all  human 
relationships.  No  one  class  is  to  be  favored  above  another, 
but  a  way  of  life  is  to  be  followed  which  in  time  shall 


EMPHASIS  m  CHRISTIANITY  15 

minimize,  if  not  entirely  eliminate,  class  divisions  of  all 
sorts.  No  one  group  is  to  escape  the  application  of  the 
social  gospel.  Human  values  are  to  receive  first  considera- 
tion. These  are  even  more  sacred  than  property  values 
when  there  is  any  sharp  conflict  as  between  the  two.  In- 
dustry for  service,  and  not  primarily  for  profit,  is  the  goal 
to  be  reached.  True  democracy  of  the  Christian  type  is 
to  permeate  all  departments  and  sections  of  life.  The 
kingdom  of  love  and  the  rule  of  the  King  are  to  prevail 
universally. 

Is  this  too  large  a  program  ?  Not  if  all  Christian  people 
make  it  theirs,  as  it  was  and  is  their  Lord's,  as  it  was  and 
is  that  of  the  great  leaders  of  our  holy  religion  in  all 
past  centuries  and  in  the  present. 

Questions  for  Discussion 

1.  Why  does  Isaiah  condemn  religious  assemblies  and 
ceremonies  ? 

2.  What  should  be  the  effect  of  worship  upon  the  indi- 
vidual and  upon  society  through  the  individual  ? 

3.  Do  you  know  of  an  instance  of  the  application  of  the 
Golden  Eule  on  a  fairly  wide  scale?  What  was  the  re- 
sult? 

4.  How  may  church  members  show  their  concern  for  the 
welfare  of  each  other? 

5.  Should  organized  Christianity  or  should  other  social 
agencies  undertake  to-day  such  work  as  the  church  in  the 
Middle  Ages  did? 

6.  Are  Christian  people  generally  becoming  more  socially 
minded  ? 

7.  What  is  your  church  doing  to  help  the  fuller  coming 
of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  earth? 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  CHRISTIAN  AND  PUBLIC  EDUCATION 

For  reference  and  study:  Deut.  6.  6-9;  Prov.  1.  1-6; 
3.  13-26;  Matt.  28.  18-20;  Luke  1.  1-4;  2.  52;  Acts  7.  22; 
10.  1-35;  17.  16-34. 

Education  in  the  Peogeam  of  Jesus 

1.  Jesns  as  a  teacher. — To  say  that  Jesus  had  a  program 
of  public  education  such  as  that  of  the  school  board  of 
your  town  would  be  wide  of  the  mark.  Indeed,  we  must 
always  be  careful  how  we  use  the  word  "program"  in 
connection  with  the  life  and  ministry  of  Jesus.  But  Jesus 
did  want  the  minds  of  the  people  to  be  enlightened.  He 
taught  the  men  of  his  time  and  the  men  of  all  time  some 
of  the  deepest  truths  ever  proclaimed. 

Luke  says  of  Jesus  that  "he  grew  in  wisdom."  And 
this  must  mean  that  Jesus  learned  just  as  all  others  have 
learned — by  study,  by  observation,  by  contact  with  the 
world  of  human  life,  by  communion  with  God.  That  Jesus 
attended  the  s}Tiagogue  school  or  that  he  ever  received  for- 
mal instruction,  we  do  not  know;  but  we  do  know  that  his 
mother  was  deeply  instructed  in  the  Hebrew  Scriptures, 
that  she  was  in  the  habit  of  pondering  the  deep  things  of 
God  in  her  own  heart.  We  may  be  sure  that  Jesus  learned 
many  a  great  truth  from  her  before  he  came  to  the  period 
of  his  own  later  and  independent  development. 

A  title  often  used  by  the  disciples  in  addressing  Jesus 
was  "Teacher."  This  indicates  that  they  regarded  them- 
selves as  learners  and  that  thej'  looked  upon  him  not  only 
as  concerned  for  their  instruction  but  as  giving  them  in- 
struction in  the  wisdom  he  himself  possessed.  For  the 
most  part  they  were  untutored  men — ignorant  men,  we 
should  say, — so  far  as  schools  and  books  are  concerned. 
But  their  minds  were  prepared  for  the  great  truths  im- 
planted by  Jesus.    They  were  learners  in  his  school — the 

16 


PUBLIC  EDUCATION  17 

school  of  the  inner  life.    They  learned  so  well  that  as  his 
representatives  they  have  been  instructing  men  ever  since. 

2.  The  great  coininission. — Matt.  28.  18-20  is  a  very  in- 
structive passage.  There  Jesus  commands  his  disciples  to 
go  into  all  the  world  to  make  other  disciples,  to  baptize 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit, 
and  to  teach  them  to  observe  all  things  according  to  his 
commands. 

This  clearly  indicates  two  things:  that  Jesus  desired 
an  instructed  following  among  men  and  women  and  that 
he  expected  his  disciples  to  take  upon  themselves  a  meas- 
ure of  responsibility  for  the  education  of  the  people.  Ig- 
norance has  no  place  in  the  program  of  Jesus.  His  gos- 
pel will  stand  all  the  light  there  is.  Faith  and  devotion 
are  based  upon  knowledge. 

This  command  still  stands.  The  Christian  must  be  con- 
cerned with  education — his  own  and  that  of  other  persons. 

A  man  was  once  heard  to  remark  that  education  was  a 
purely  secular  affair,  that  the  church  had  no  concern  with 
it,  and  that  an  educated  ministry  would  mark  the  decline 
of  the  ministry.  Does  such  a  position  rightly  interpret  the 
mind  of  Christ? 

3.  The  prologue  of  Luke.— In  opening  his  Gospel  and 
in  dedicating  it  to  Theophilus,  Luke  declares  that  he  writes 
in  order  that  his  friend  may  know  the  certainty  of  the 
things  wherein  he  has  been  instructed. 

An  educational  purpose  stands  at  the  forefront  of  this 
gospel.    In  this  Luke  is  true  to  the  mind  of  Jesus. 

From  such  a  beginning  the  interest  of  the  Christian 
Church  in  education  has  developed.  Ignorance  and  illiter- 
acy are  the  enemies  of  a  pure  faith.  The  schoolhouse  and 
college,  as  well  as  the  church,  are  sacred.  And  Christians 
have  been  following  the  purpose  of  Jesus  in  organizing 
centers  of  instruction  for  the  people  in  all  lands.  Do 
you  know  how  many  of  the  foremost  educational  institu- 
tions of  xA.merica  were  founded  either  by  ministers  or  by 
the  church? 

Public   Education   and   Public   Welfare 
1.  The  hope  of  democracy. — We  do  not  always  reaKze 


18  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

how  closely  public  welfare  and  public  education  are  bound 
together. 

In  a  recent  striking  article  a  Chinese  scholar  denies 
this.  He  alfirms  that  the  public  should  not  be  taught, 
that  only  those  of  exceptional  intellectual  gifts  should  have 
the  opportunities  of  education.  This  is  at  sharp  variance 
with  the  Christian  view.  It  is  opposed  to  the  method 
and  purpose  of  Jesus. 

If  the  view  of  this  Chinese  scholar  were  to  prevail,  what 
hope  would  there  be  of  the  continuance  and  development 
of  democracy?  Of  course  he  is  not  interested  in  that 
sort  of  a  development,  for  he  probably  thinks  that  nothing 
worse  could  happen  than  to  see  a  real  democracy  estab- 
lished here  or  anywhere  else.  To  us  as  Christians  "de- 
mocracy^'  and  "the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  earth''  are 
almost  interchangeable  terms. 

In  a  democracy  each  citizen  must  bear  his  part.  Com- 
mon responsibilities  are  to  be  shared.  Intelligent  under- 
standing of  the  issues  and  intelligent  cooperation  in  meet- 
ing them  are  essential.  Ignorance  saps  the  strength  of  the 
foundations  of  a  democratic  order. 

In  such  countries  as  China  and  Mexico  the  progress  of 
democracy  is  retarded  by  the  great  mass  of  illiteracy  that 
overspreads  these  lands.  In  spite  of  leaders  who  have  their 
faces  toward  the  light  the  rank  and  file  are  still  under 
the  power  of  superstition  and  tradition.  To  obey  the  com- 
mand of  Jesus  means  to  build  schools  and  send  teachers 
among  such  peoples,  that  they  may  know  the  truth  that 
makes  men  free. 

2.  Necessary  to  efficiency. — The  efficient  man  is  he  who 
knows  how  to  do  some  piece  of  work  necessary  to  the  carry- 
ing on  of  civilization.  Our  country  is  blessed  with  an 
abundance  of  natural  resources.  These  cannot  be  utilized 
for  the  good  of  all  of  us  except  as  trained  intelligence  is 
applied  to  their  development.  Factories  must  be  built, 
machinery  must  be  invented,  scientific  processes  must  be 
employed.  Ignorance  means  waste  and  underproduction. 
Education  of  the  right  sort  means  the  utilization  of  the 
vast  stores  of  possible  good  for  the  blessing  of  mankind. 

The  telephone,  the  telegraph,  the  automobile,  the  air- 


PUBLIC  EDUCATION  19 

plane,  are  the  forerunners  of  an  expanding  civilization. 
The  head  of  a  great  industry,  employing  thousands  of  men, 
recently  remarked  that  the  elimination  of  the  telephone 
would  make  it  necessary  to  close  the  plant. 

Education  for  efficiency  and  then  efficiency  in  the  use  of 
knowledge  are  indispensable. 

3.  Preparation  for  service. — Ignorance  is  the  enemy  of 
the  highest  type  of  service.  There  are  persons  in  the  world 
whose  impulses  are  of  the  best.  The  sad  fact  is  they 
do  not  know  enough  to  be  able  to  express  themselves  in 
ways  productive  of  the  most  good  to  themselves  and  to 
others.  Selfishness  is  not  to  be  explained  on  the  ground 
of  ignorance,  but  ignorance  is  a  strong  ally.  Acts  7.  22 
helps  to  explain  why  Moses  could  play  such  a  great  part  in 
leading  his  people  toward  their  wider  destiny. 

4.  Relation  to  character. — A  man  may  be  an  educated 
rascal,  and  his  rascality  will  be  all  the  more  harmful. 
Probably  many  men  behind  the  bars  of  our  prisons  are 
well  educated.  Not  long  ago  the  writer  received  a  letter 
from  such  a  man  in  which  he  requested  that  copies  of  lit- 
erary works  of  highest  merit  be  sent  to  him.  Oscar  Wilde 
is  a  case  in  point.  But  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  educa- 
tion of  the  right  type  is  a  high  incentive  to  noble  charac- 
ter and  that  it  outlines  the  features  of  the  strongest  and 
most  useful  life.  Something  more  than  education  is  re- 
quired to  make  a  Christian,  but  an  educated  Christian  is 
worth  more  to  the  world  than  one  of  equal  intelligence  but 
uneducated.  Paul,  from  the  University  of  Tarsus,  was 
used  of  God  as  he  never  could  have  been  had  he  been  a 
man  of  equally  devoted  purpose  but  with  an  untrained 
mind. 

Ignorance  is  the  enemy  of  social  progress.  A  program 
of  moral  reform  cannot  be  successfully  carried  out  unless 
the  people  are  sufficiently  educated  to  understand  and  value 
its  meaning.  The  vicious  elements  in  society  prey  upon 
the  ignorant  and  find  in  them  their  dupes  and  tools.  Al- 
though moral  enlightenment  and  education,  as  the  term 
is  ordinarly  used,  are  not  the  same,  there  is  a  close  rela- 
tionship between  them.  Social  improvement,  moral  pro- 
gress, the  advancement  of  ideals,  the  growth  of  true  reli- 


20  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

gion,  are  all  retarded  by  ignorance  and  greatly  accelerated 
by  genuine  education. 

Some  Essential  Factors 

1.  Comnmnity  interest. — Public  education  i8  the  con- 
cern of  the  entire  community.  If  the  people  are  interested 
in  this  question,  if  they  give  it  the  same  consideration 
they  give  to  health  and  amusement  questions,  progress  is 
certain  to  be  made.  There  must  be  a  thoroughly  awakened 
and  intelligent  public  spirit. 

In  one  city  it  was  proposed  to  build  a  new  stadium  in 
an  athletic  field  connected  with  one  of  the  schools.  The 
pupils  were  aroused.  The  citizens  were  fired  with  inter- 
est. A  representative  committee  was  appointed.  A  large 
sum  of  money  was  almost  immediately  subscribed.  The 
plan  was  carried  through.  This  shows  what  can  easily  be 
done  when  public  spirit  is  aroused  in  connection  with  a 
minor  although  important  matter.  Would  there  have  been 
the  same  interest  in  something  less  directly  associated  with 
popular  athletics?  Let  us  hope  so.  At  any  rate  public 
education  is  not  likely  to  rise  higher  in  any  community 
than  the  public  spirit  of  the  citizens  carries  it. 

If  the  men  and  women  are  more  interested  in  the 
^^movies"  than  in  the  conduct  of  the  schools,  if  the  "screen 
star*'  who  happens  to  be  holding  the  center  of  the  stage  is 
thought  to  be  a  more  important  person  than  the  superin- 
tendent of  public  education,  there  is  something  wrong. 

In  a  certain  semisuburban  community  it  took  years  to 
bring  the  men  and  women  to  vote  for  a  new  high-school 
building.  Many  said:  "We  got  our  education  in  the  old 
building.  It  is  good  enough  for  the  boys  and  girls  to-day.'' 
In  that  same  community  the  success  of  the  local  baseball 
nine  was  a  matter  of  great  pride.  The  standing  of  the 
town  was  very  generally  thought  to  hinge  upon  the  success 
of  that  team  in  its  contests  with  the  teams  from  sur- 
rounding towns.  If  the  same  public  spirit  could  have 
been  shown  toward  education  as  was  shown  toward  base- 
ball, it  would  have  been  better  for  all  concerned,  and,  quite 
possibly,  a  better  baseball  team  might  have  been  shortly 


PUBLIC  EDUCATION  21 

organized ;  for  a  trained  mind  is  not  a  liability  in  a  base- 
ball player. 

2.  Adequate  equipment. — The  buildings  and  equipment 
should  be  the  best  the  community  can  possibly  afford. 
As  soon  as  there  is  need  for  personal  economy,  some  cut 
off  the  subscription  to  the  church.  The  need  for  com- 
munity economy  sometimes  leads  the  authorities  to  cut 
down  the  money  spent  on  the  schools  and  their  upkeep. 
In  both  instances  such  economy  is  very  costly.  On  a  purely 
commercial  basis  dollars  and  cents  cannot  be  better  in- 
vested. 

There  has  been  a  distinct  advance  throughout  our  coun- 
try in  this  respect.  Good  buildings  and  adequate  equip- 
ment are  the  order  of  the  new  day;  yet  much  remains  to 
be  desired.  Men  who  live  in  good  homes  and  who  insist 
that  their  offices  and  factories  shall  be  up  to  the  minute  in 
the  matter  of  equipment  are  sometimes  inclined  to  take  a 
less  progressive  view  of  the  needs  of  the  schools. 

3.  Teaching  as  a  vocation. — Those  who  teach  should  be 
men  and  women  who  regard  their  tasks  in  the  light  of  a 
divine  vocation.  A  young  woman  wlio  was  taking  the 
normal  course  for  teachers  was  heard  to  remark  that 
teaching  was  about  as  respectable  and  easy  a  way  of  mak- 
ing a  living  as  she  knew.  If  that  viewpoint  were  general, 
the  work  of  the  schools  would  deteriorate,  and  the  general 
level  of  intelligence  would  rise  very  slowly  if  at  all.  A 
public-school  principal,  a  man  who  miglit  have  made  a 
success  as  a  business  man,  declared  that  he  gave  himself 
to  his  work  just  as  a  minister  enters  the  service  of  the 
church. 

The  very  large  turn-over  in  the  ranks  of  the  teachers 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  many  do  not  regard  teaching 
as  the  noble  vocation  that  it  really  is.  Which  view  seems 
to  prevail  in  your  community  ?  Is  teaching  just  a  way  to 
make  a  living — one  way  among  many?  Is  teaching  a  vo- 
cation to  which  a  person  gives  himself  for  the  good  of 
those  he  teaches  and  for  the  good  of  the  commonwealth? 
Is  teaching  a  business?    Is  teaching  a  calling? 

No  one  who  is  not  a  person  of  high  moral  and  spiritual 
standards  should   be  permitted   to   teach   in  our  public 


23  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

schools.  A  person  without  any  high  ideals  may  be  able  to 
teach  the  multiplication  table,  but  even  that  simple  duty 
will  be  performed  better  by  the  person  with  ideals.  There 
is  no  such  book  as  a  Christian  history  or  a  Christian  scien- 
tific treatise,  but  only  a  person  of  Christian  standards  is 
fit  to  teach  and  interpret  either  history  or  science  to  the 
developing  mind  of  the  oncoming  generation. 

Individual  initiative  should  mark  the  members  of  the 
teaching  force  if  the  best  results  are  to  be  secured.  The 
goose  step  may  have  served  the  purpose  of  the  Grerman 
army  on  its  way  to  overwhelming  catastrophe,  but  there  is 
something  better  than  standardization  and  systemization 
that  crush  all  the  initiative  out  of  the  teachers  and  the 
taught.  In  the  former  days  more  frequently  than  now  the 
children  in  an  orphanage  dressed  just  alike,  with  hair 
cut  and  combed  just  alike,  and,  treated  just  alike  in  all 
matters  of  discipline,  were  really  pitiable  little  objects, 
however  good  the  intentions  of  those  responsible  for  the 
system  may  have  been.  Teachers  and  pupils  as  much  alike 
as  peas  in  a  pod  are  not  the  finest  product  of  our  school 
system.  Personality,  individuality  trained  toward  high 
ideals  and  productive  services,  this  is  one  of  the  greatest 
needs  of  the  time. 

f  4.  Ideals  of  the  pupils. — The  boys  and  girls  themselves 
are  essential  factors  in  this  process.  They  may  not  fully 
^realize  it,  but  the  schools  are  conducted  for  them.  Vast 
sums  of  money  are  spent,  the  buildings  are  erected,  the 
teachers  are  engaged,  the  curriculum  is  arranged,  all  with 
the  purpose  of  giving  them  a  chance  to  become  educated 
citizens  of  our  great  republic.  How  will  they  meet  this 
opportunity  ?  If  pla3^s,  dances,  athletics,  and  social  affairs 
take  the  first  place  in  their  thought,  they  are  not  taking 
the  attitude  the  community  has  a  right  to  expect  them  to 
take.  "All  work  and  no  play" — yes,  we  all  admit  what 
that  implies.  But  turn  the  old  saying  around  and  con- 
sider what  happens  when  it  is  all  play  and  no  work. 

An  educator  of  high  standing  recently  gave  it  as  his 
opinion  that  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  student  body  under 
his  observation  were  never  more  devoted  to  the  real  business 
of  the  school  period.    If  this  holds  true  generally,  it  argues 


I 


PUBLIC  EDUCATION  23 

well  for  the  future  of  our  country  and  for  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  in  the  world. 

What  Can  the  Christian  Do? 

1.  Individual  initiative. — The  Christian  can  exert  his 
influence  on  the  side  of  every  attempt  to  elevate  the  stand- 
ards of  education  in  his  community;  initiate  something 
or  heartily  second  something  that  seeks  the  spread  of  intel- 
ligence among  all  the  people. 

Lecture  courses  of  the  right  sort  are  popular.  Intellec- 
tual stimulus  is  welcomed  by  many  who  do  not  seem  to 
have  any  particular  interest  in  the  larger  questions  of  the 
da3^  One  city  church  prepared  a  lecture-course  and  sold 
tickets  at  a  price  just  large  enough  to  cover  the  cost.  A  few 
interested  persons  agreed  to  stand  by  in  case  of  a  deficit. 
The  course  paid  its  own  way,  and  the  mental  life  of  many 
who  would  have  felt  little  of  that  kind  of  influence  was 
broadened  and  quickened. 

2.  Guard  the  schools. — The  system  of  public  education 
should  be  guarded  from  every  sort  of  hurtful  political  or 
sectarian  influence.  In  many  communities  there  are  in- 
fluences at  work  which  will  seriously  cripple — if,  indeed, 
they  do  not  eventually  undermine — the  best  work  of  the 
schools.  Sectarianism  in  any  form,  whether  it  be  of  the 
Protestant  or  the  Eoman  Catholic  type,  should  be  ban- 
ished. If  there  are  politicians  who,  by  means  of  under- 
ground methods,  are  seeking  to  gain  control  either  of  the 
local  or  the  national  system  of  education  for  either  in- 
dividual or  party  purposes,  they  should  be  resisted  by  an 
enlightened  public  opinion  and  by  the  most  drastic  meas- 
ures to  be  devised  by  that  opinion. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many  forces  at  work  in  our 
communities  which  seek  to  draw  all  people  together  in 
their  support  of  education.  These  should  be  heartily  sec- 
onded by  the  Christian  citizen.  Divisive  forces  are  to 
be  resisted,  but  the  forces  that  draw  men  together  in  the 
unity  of  a  fine  community  purpose  are  to  be  conserved  and 
used  to  the  full  extent  of  their  power. 

Democracy  of  the  Christian  type  is  dependent  on  the 
intelligent  loyalty  and  purposeful  service  of  our  citizens. 


24  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

Any  influence  that  prevents  the  system  of  public  educa- 
tion from  making  its  full  contribution  to  the  development 
of  the  present  and  future  citizens  of  the  land  is  working 
against  all  that  we  hold  dear.  The  Christian  has  a  fine 
opportunity  to  second  and  support  every  attempt  to  make 
the  system  realize  its  own  highest  ideals. 

3.  Religious  education. — To-day  as  never  before  the 
Christian  has  the  opportunity  of  stressing  the  value  of 
religious  education.  Eeligious  education  is  very  different 
from  training  in  sectarian  doctrine  and  practice.  It  is 
chiefly  concerned  with  the  development  of  the  minds  and 
Iiearts  of  the  younger  generation  toward  God  and  aU  the 
real  things  of  the  world  of  the  spirit.  The  schools  and 
colleges  may  be  much  more  closely  related  to  the  churches 
and  the  church  schools  than  is  the  case  to-day.  These 
agencies  are  complementary.  The  day  school  or  the  col- 
lege has  its  own  definite  task,  so  has  the  church  school. 
Without  in  any  way  infringing  the  principle  of  the  sep- 
aration of  state  and  church  there  is  a  great  opportunity 
for  cooperative  eSort  in  the  field  of  education,  which  all 
right-thinking  citizens — Protestant,  Jew,  and  Catholic — 
will  support.  The  superintendents  of  three  of  the  large 
schools  in  an  Eastern  city  were  recently  invited  to  come 
before  the  congregation  of  an  influential  church  and  tell 
the  people  how,  in  their  Judgment,  church  and  school  could 
the  better  cooperate  in  the  community  task  of  public  edu- 
cation. Such  meetings  might  well  be  multiplied  through- 
out the  country.  They  help  to  form  public  opinion  of  the 
right  sort.   They  are  the  forerunners  of  cooperative  effort. 

Questions  tor  Discussion" 

1.  Are  we  better  Christians  and  better  citizens  if  we  are 
trained  in  the  truths  our  fathers  have  followed  and  cher- 
ished ? 

2.  In  what  respect  is  the  condition  of  the  man  in- 
structed in  the  wisdom  of  the  past  more  favorable  than 
that  of  the  uninstructed  ? 

3.  Why  do  not  men  generally  value  wisdom  as  highly 
as  the  writers  of  the  wisdom  books  of  the  Old  Testament  ? 


PUBLIC  EDUCATION  25 

4.  What  chance  is  there  of  building  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  if  Christ's  command  to  teach  all  people  is  neglected  ? 

5.  Find  some  of  the  qualities  of  the  true  teacher  in  the 
incident  of  Acts  10.  1-35. 

6.  What  is  the  ideal  of  Christian  education  ? 

7.  What  contribution  to  religious  education  is  being 
made  by  your  school  ? 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  CHRISTIAN  AND  THE  WAGE  PROBLEM 

For  reference  and  study:  Deut.  24.  14-15;  Jer.  22.  13- 
17;  Matt.  7.  12;  20.  1-15;  Luke  10.  7;  Eph.  4.  31-32; 
6.  5-9 ;  Col.  4.  1 ;  Philemon  8-20 ;  James  5.  1-4. 

How  TO  Measure  the  Value  of  Labor 

1.  Valuation  of  life. — Jesus  lived  in  a  time  when  society- 
was  not  organized  as  it  is  to-day.  Men  lived  in  the  open. 
There  were  no  great  cities  in  Palestine,  with  their  con- 
gested districts  and  crowded  tenements.  There  were  no 
slums  and  no  fine  residence  districts  as  far  removed  as 
possible  from  the  haunts  of  wretchedness  and  vice,  such  as 
we  know  to-day.  Agriculture  and  the  raising  of  sheep, 
cattle,  and  other  livestock  were  the  chief  occupations  of  the 
men  of  his  time,  and  such  work  as  was  done  in  the  large 
towns  was  done  chiefly  in  the  homes  of  the  people,  and  not 
in  large  shops  and  factories. 

Jesus  placed  the  first  value  upon  life.  Human  life  was 
of  supreme  value  in  the  thought  of  God.  And  we  may  be 
sure  that  if  he  were  among  us  to-day,  living  and  teach- 
ing in  such  conditions  as  we  know,  his  emphasis  would 
be  the  same:  it  would  fall  upon  men  rather  than  upon 
things  and  dollars.  He  one  day  said  to  his  hearers,  "How 
much  better  is  a  man  than  a  sheep  \"  That  was  a  standard 
of  comparison  that  had  meaning  to  those  who  heard  him. 
To-day  he  would  say,  "How  much  better  is  a  man  than  a 
shop  or  an  office,  a  railroad  or  a  mine !"  Always  he  would 
think  first  of  men,  women,  and  children. 

We  must  remember  this  when  we  come  to  measure  the 
value  of  labor.  We  must  first  get  our  eyes  on  the  man 
or  the  woman  or  the  child  who  is  doing  the  work  instead 
of  first  considering  the  work  the  person  happens  to  be  per- 
forming.    We  must  have  in  mind  the  idea  that  human 

26 


THE  WAGE  PROBLEM  27 

values  come  first  before  we  try  to  think  of  how  much  a 
given  service  is  worth.  The  service  may  be  very  import- 
ant, like  that  of  directing  a  great  industrial  enterprise, 
or  it  may  be  very  humble,  like  that  of  sweeping  a  street; 
but  a  human  being  is  performing  it,  and  we  must  think 
of  his  value  to  God  and  to  society  and  to  himself  and  his 
family  before  we  try  to  fix  finally  upon  the  value  of  the 
work  he  is  doing. 

2.  Essential  service. — We  must  also  consider  how  so- 
cially useful  or  even  necessary  the  work  is.  There  are  some 
forms  of  labor  without  which  society  could  not  go  for- 
ward from  day  to  day.  We  who  live  in  cities  would  starve 
to  death  if  it  were  not  for  the  men  and  women  on  the 
farms  who  raise  the  food  we  eat.  If  there  were  no  means 
of  transportation  by  which  to  ship  the  food  to  us,  if  there 
were  no  system  of  exchange  by  which'  we  might  come  into 
possession  of  it,  we  should  be  helpless.  On  the  other  hand, 
life  for  those  on  the  ranches  and  farms  in  the  remote  sec- 
tions of  the  land  would  be  sadly  impoverished  if  it  were  not 
for  the  automobiles,  the  telephones,  the  victrolas,  the  news- 
papers, and  a  thousand  other  things  that  circulate  freely 
to-day  throughout  the  country.  How  essential  the  service 
of  the  physician  in  time  of  sickness !  What  an  important 
contribution  to  human  well-being  the  teacher  and  the  edi- 
tor make ! 

Some  forms  of  service  do  not  seem  to  be  so  essential  to 
the  carrying  on  of  life.  Often  these  are  more  highly  re- 
warded than  labor  that  is  far  more  essential.  And  what- 
ever we  may  think  of  these  less  useful  forms  of  work  we 
must  be  fair  and  just  enough  to  make  it  our  aim  to  place 
upon  every  essential  form  of  human  service  its  full  value. 
We  must  not  be  blinded  by  the  more  showy  services  and 
think  less  highly  than  we  should  of  those  who  are  doing 
very  important  but  oftentimes  menial  work  in  human 
society. 

Notice  how  Paul,  in  his  letter  to  Philemon,  emphasizes 
this  point.  How  highly  he  speaks  of  the  slave  Onesimus ! 
He  greatly  values  what  this  otherwise  unnoticed  man  had 
done  for  him  and  he  sends  him  back  to  his  master  with  a 
letter  filled  with  the  spirit  of  Christian  love.     He  urges 


28  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

Philemon  to  receive  him  no  longer  as  a  mere  bondservant 
but  as  a  brother  beloved. 

3.  Labor  values.— In  fixing  the  value  of  labor  we  must 
think  of  the  work  and  of  its  service  to  society  and  we 
must  also  consider  the  social  relationship  within  which  the 
worker  lives.  If  he  is  the  father  of  a  family  he  has  a 
right  to  the  chance  to  make  good  as  the  support  of  those 
dependent  upon  him.  The  Christian  will  be  interested  to 
see  that  such  conditions  do  not  obtain  as  make  it  neces- 
sary for  the  wife  and  mother  to  go  to  work  to  help  eke  out 
a  Uving  for  the  family.  The  children  will  have  their 
chanoe  at  an  education  before  they  become  recruits  within 
the  ranks  of  the  workers. 

Social  workers  are  frequently  face  to  face  with  condi- 
tions in  which,  try  as  a  worker  may,  he  cannot  earn 
enough  to  support  himself  and  his  family.  Eecent  years 
have  m.arked  improvement  in  these  respects,  and  a  good 
deal  of  the  improvement  has  been  due  to  the  activity  of 
Christian  men  and  women  of  social  conscience.  Much 
remains  to  be  done. 

It  is  evident  that  it  is  not  a  simple  matter  to  measure 
the  value  of  labor.  No  one  man  is  able  to  do  this.  No 
one  group  of  men  can  do  this.  The  question  is  at  bottom 
a  social  question,  and  we  are  all  involved. 

The  Living  Wage  axd  Profit  Sharing 

1.  Living-wage  plan. — The  plan  is  an  attempt  to  fix 
a  standard  below  which  the  wages  in  a  given  industry 
shall  not  fall.  For  several  years  the  government  has 
been  investigating  living  conditions  in  different  communi- 
ties, and  has  endeavored  to  find  out  how  much  money  a 
person  must  receive  in  return  for  honest  work  if  he  is  to 
be  able  to  buy  the  necessaries  of  life  for  himself  and  those 
dependent  on  him.  A  number  of  independent  inquiries  of 
this  same  sort  have  been  carried  on.  To-day  it  is  possible 
for  you  to  find  out  about  how  much  of  an  income  a  person 
must  have  if  he  is  to  maintain  an  American  standard  of 
life  in  your  community.  Here  is  a  subject  which  you  may 
be  interested  to  investigate. 


THE  WAGE  PROBLEM  29 

We  all  know  that  to  live  in  a  good  home,  to  eat  good 
food,  to  wear  suitable  clothing,  to  enjoy  some  of  the  privi- 
leges of  intellectual  and  spiritual  growth  and  of  recreation, 
to  be  able  to  contribute  toward  good  enterprises,  requires 
money. 

If  we  have  never  had  to  earn  any  of  it  for  ourselves,  this 
lesson  may  not  yet  have  been  strongly  impressed  upon  us. 
But  the  vast  majority  of  persons  do  have  to  earn  it  for 
themselves  or  go  without  it.  And  we  are  all  learning  that 
we  cannot  afford  to  have  persons  living  in  our  communities 
who  cannot  meet  the  requirements  of  the  standard  of  life. 
Unless  the  community  prevents  that  sort  of  thing,  the 
level  of  the  life  of  all  of  us  is  lowered. 

Perhaps  the  living-wage  plan  is  not  so  modern  as  it 
seems.  Study  Matt.  20.  1-15  and  see  if  you  do  not  find  the 
principles  that  underlie  such  a  plan.  Equal  pay  for 
unequal  labor  is  not  the  fact  to  fasten  your  attention  upon 
so  much  as  the  other  fact  that  no  man  was  allowed  to 
receive  less  than  a  fixed  return  for  his  labor. 

2.  Profit  sharing. — This  is  another  attempt  to  reach 
equity  in  distributing  the  earnings  of  men  working  to- 
gether at  a  common  task.  Employers  and  investors  have 
recognized  the  fact  that  if  it  were  not  for  the  skill  and 
energy  of  the  manual  workers  there  would  be  no  profits. 
Organizing  talent  is  necessary,  managerial  ability  is  re- 
quired, and  so  is  the  labor  of  the  men  and  women  who 
work  with  their  hands.  Examine  1  Cor.  12  for  a  clear 
statement  of  some  underlying  principles. 

All  those  who  work  together  to  win  prosperity  should 
share  in  that  prosperity,  and  with  as  much  equity  as 
possible. 

The  captain  on  the  bridge  of  an  ocean  liner  is  essential 
to  the  safety  and  comfort  of  the  passengers,  but  so  is  the 
stoker.  And  there  has  been  a  growing  tendency  in  the  in- 
dustrial world  to  give  every  worker  his  due.  Brains  are 
necessary,  but  so  is  brawn.  Indeed,  it  is  a  superficial  mis- 
take to  draw  any  sharp  distinction  between  them  when  both 
are  required  if  progress,  prosperity,  and  a  more  Christian 
social  order  are  to  be  achieved. 

We  must  not  overdraw  the  picture.    Some  employers  and 


30  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

shareholders  resist  every  such  plan  as  those  sketched.  They 
are  still  engaged  in  the  process  described  by  the  prophet 
Jeremiah  (22.  13-17).  We  must  not  think  that  without 
vigilance  and  continuous  effort  on  the  part  of  all  right- 
thinking  persons  social  justice  will  be  done.  But  it  is 
good  to  be  able  to  say  that  the  majority  of  industrial 
leaders  are  faced  in  the  direction  of  principles  and  plans 
that  contemplate  a  more  equitable  distribution  of  human 
wealth. 

The  Christian  Workman  and  the  Labor  Union 

1.  The  labor  union. — Manual  workers  have  attempted  to 
solve  the  knotty  problems  of  our  industrial  order  by  the 
formation  of  labor  unions.  These  have  gathered  together 
the  workers  of  a  given  occupation  and  in  common  action 
have  formulated  the  principles  and  the  rules  according  to 
which  a  trade  is  to  be  governed.  The  living-wage  and 
the  profit-sharing  plans  have  usually  arisen  outside  the 
ranks  of  the  manual  workers.  Sometimes  these  schemes 
have  had  the  approval,  som.etimes  the  disapproval  of  the 
workers.  The  lal)or  union  is  the  creation  of  the  manual 
workers.  Its  rise  and  development  in  England  and  Amer- 
ica constitute  a  most  instructive  chapter  in  the  economic 
progress  of  two  great  nations. 

That  labor  has  the  right  to  organize  is  to-day  generally 
conceded.  Fair-minded  men  claim  that  employers  have  a 
right  to  organize,  that  stockholders  and  consumers  have  a 
right  to  organize.  They  accord  this  same  right  to  manual 
workers.  But  in  every  instance  the  organization  must 
work  toward  the  common  good.  The  test  of  its  righteous- 
ness and  usefulness  is  found  here. 

2.  Christian  leadership. — Many  Christian  workmen  are 
members  of  the  labor  unions.  In  England  for  many  years 
some  of  the  chief  leaders  in  the  ranks  of  labor  have  been 
devoted  members  of  the  Christian  Church.  Arthur  Hen- 
derson, a  local  preacher  of  the  Wesleyan  Church,  is  an 
example.  In  this  country  we  have  had  no  such  conspicu- 
ous figure  as  he,  but  many  Christian  workers  have  exerted 
a  deep  influence  upon  the  labor  movement. 


THE  WAGE  PEOBLEM  31 

In  the  union  the  Christian  workingman  has  a  strategic 
position.  He  may  interpret  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the 
Christian  Church  to  the  workers  outside  the  influence  and 
membership  of  any  Christian  group.  For  a  long  time  in 
one  of  our  important  industrial  cities  a  highly  influential 
publication  of  organized  labor  was  largely  molded  as  to 
its  policy  and  program  by  a  man  of  fine  Christian  char- 
acter. 

The  Christian  member  of  the  labor  union  has  the  oppor- 
tunity of  interpreting  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  labor  to 
those  within  the  church  who  gain  most  of  their  informa- 
tion from  somewhat  inadequate  sources.  A  Christian 
labor  leader  one  day  spoke  to  a  group  of  Christian  citizens 
and  by  the  breadth  and  fairness  of  his  utterances  exerted 
a  great  influence,  making  for  understanding  and  conciha- 
tion  throughout  a  wide  territory. 

His  influence  will  work  in  both  directions.  Sometimes 
the  labor  organization  stands  for  a  wrong  policy.  We  had 
an  example  of  that  a  few  years  ago  in  the  city  of  Boston, 
when  the  policemen  went  on  strike  and  left  the  city  open  ta 
the  attacks  of  ruffians  and  rowdies. 

Sometimes  those  not  members  of  the  ranks  of  the  man- 
ual workers  stand  for  wrong  views,  as,  for  example,  in 
some  of  the  bitter  condemnation  of  the  workingmen  re- 
cently heard  on  account  of  their  unusually  high  wage 
demands,  when  this  criticism  has  failed  to  take  into  account 
the  greatly  increased  cost  of  housing  and  of  the  basic 
necessities  of  life. 

The  Christian  workman  will  stand  for  justice  and  fair- 
ness in  his  union  and  for  the  same  principles  in  his  church. 
He  will  not  permit  his  own  conscience  to  be  stifled  nor  will 
he  be  a  party  to  any  policy  or  opinion  that  tends  to  lower 
human  ideals. 

3.  The  Christian  in  the  ranks.— The  Christian  work- 
man will  give  a  fair  day's  work  for  a  fair  return  and  will 
use  his  influence  in  favor  of  such  a  policy  in  all  the  coun- 
cils of  his  trade.  He  knows  that  the  question  of  production 
is  prior  to  that  of  wages,  hours,  and  distribution  of  the 
product.  He  knows  that  the  man  who  scamps  his  job,  the 
man  who  fails  to  keep  the  machinery  of  production  going 


32  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

forward  at  normal  speed,  is  not  contributing  to  his  own 
weKare  nor  to  the  welfare  of  anyone  else. 

He  will  recognize  the  place  and  power  of  religion  in  the 
labor  movement.  In  September,  1919,  an  International 
Conference  on  Labor  and  Eeligion  was  held  in  Browning 
Hall,  London.  The  records  of  that  Conference  are  prof- 
itable reading  to  all  who  believe  that  the  fundamental 
principles  of  Christianity  must  be  reckoned  with  in  any 
attempt  to  work  out  a  thoroughly  Christian  social  order 
in  the  earth. 

The  Solution  of  the  Problem 

1.  The  Christian  solution. — We  must  be  careful  how  we 
speak  of  the  solution  of  any  great  human  problem.  As 
conditions  of  life  change,  and  the  world  moves  onward, 
the  old-time  problem  reappears,  although  its  form  and 
garb  may  be  new.  But  a  question  may  find  a  solution,  good 
for  all  time,  so  far  as  it  goes — a  solution  that  will  pre- 
vent certain  features  of  the  problem  from  reappearing, 
and  which  will  help  those  who  come  after  us  to  move  in 
the  direction  of  greater  human  good. 

Speaking  in  this  sense,  we  may  say  that  tliere  is  a 
Christian  solution  of  the  labor  problem.  The  principles 
and  purposes  of  Jesus  Christ  give  us  the  only  sure  and 
enduring  basis  of  a  real  solution. 

If  men  and  women  can  be  brought  to  see  this  so  that 
the  words  mean  something  more  to  them  than  words,  a 
great  step  forward  will  be  taken. 

Do  you  know  any  persons  who  still  think  that  religion 
has  nothing  to  do  with  such  matters?  Do  you  know  any 
good  Christian  people  who  say,  "Better  not  mix  up  our 
Christian  preaching  and  teaching  with  these  questions"  ? 

The  Christian  Church,  the  church  school,  all  the  edu- 
cational agencies  of  the  church,  have  no  greater  obliga- 
tion and  opportunity  today  than  to  teach  with  full  con- 
viction that  there  is  a  Christian  solution  for  the  problems 
that  vex  the  world.  If  the  young  men  and  women  of  the 
coming  generation  can  be  sent  out  into  life  with  this 
conviction  deeply  fixed  in  their  minds,  future  years  will 


THE  WAGE  PEOBLEM  33 

record  a  marvelous  progress  in  establishing  the  rnle  of 
God  in  the  earth. 

2.  Fundamental  principles. — These  are  some  of  the 
principles  that  point  the  way  toward  the  Christian  solu- 
tion: 

(a)  Human  values  have  first  place.  The  employer  who 
conducts  his  business  upon  the  assumption  that  it  is  his 
chief  aim  to  make  goods  or  profits,  or  to  make  anything 
else  than  better  men  and  a  better  order  of  society,  is  dis- 
regarding a  fundamental  principle  of  the  religion  of  Jesus. 
The  manual  worker  who  thinks  it  his  first  business  to 
secure  a  satisfactory  arrangement  as  to  wages  and  hours, 
without  much  regard  as  to  what  he  is  obligated  to  give 
in  return,  is  equally  guilty  of  overlooking  primary  prin- 
ciples. 

The  story  is  told  of  a  slave  who  came  north  by  the 
^^underground  railway.'^  He  was  being  questioned  by  a 
judge  in  the  town  to  which  he  had  escaped.  He  told  the 
judge  that  his  former  master  gave  him  good  food  and 
clothes  and  shelter.  The  judge  expressed  his  surprise  that 
the  slave  should  have  run  away.  The  black  man  told  the 
judge  that  the  place  vfas  still  vacant,  and  that  undoubtedly 
he  could  get  it  if  he  applied.  Food,  clothes,  dividends, 
profits,  wages,  hours,  are  all  important,  but  all  less  im- 
portant than  the  men,  women,  and  children  involved  in  the 
process  of  producing  them  and  made  or  broken  by  that 
process. 

(b)  The  giving  rather  than  the  getting  instincts  of  our 
natures  are  to  have  their  superiority  acknowledged.  Serv- 
ice, although  a  badly  worn  word,  is  still  the  keyword  in 
all  industrial  and  professional  activities.  To  create  some- 
thing or  to  help  create  something  that  adds  to  the  true 
wealth  of  life — a  picture,  a  poem,  an  airship,  a  railroad, 
a  house — is  of  far  greater  importance  than  to  seize  all 
that  the  hands  will  hold  and  defend  it  against  all  contest- 
ants. An  officer  of  the  American  army  related  that  in 
Armenia  a  starving  child,  when  she  received  her  potato 
and  little  cup  of  cocoa,  rushed  out  of  the  bread  line  and 
away  to  an  older  brother,  too  weak  and  emaciated  to  stand 
in  tlie  line  himself,  to  share  with  him  her  pitiful  allow- 


34  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

ance.  The  world  of  industry,  in  all  its  departments  of 
organization  and  operation,  needs  to  absorb  the  truth  in 
the  words  of  Jesus :  "I  came  not  to  be  ministered  to,  but 
to  minister/' 

Scientists,  physicians,  teachers,  social  workers,  have  gen- 
erally adopted  the  principle  of  service  for  their  own  lives. 
They  are  ordinary  human  beings  like  the  rest  of  us,  but 
they  have  an  unusual  outlook  upon  the  real  things  of  life. 
Why  should  not  all  who  contribute  in  any  way  to  the  well- 
being  of  the  world  follow  their  example?  The  shop,  the 
office,  the  factory,  offer  just  as  fine  an  opportunity  for 
self-giving.  A  recent  writer  has  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  while  we  have  called  a  man  a  "soldier  of  the 
Lord"  we  have  never  named  a  man  a  "banker  of  the 
Lord" ;  but  why  not  ? 

(c)  Every  person  must  lead  a  productive  life.  The 
physically  and  mentally  disqualified  are  the  only  excep- 
tions. To  every  other  person  the  talent  has  been  given. 
Society  has  a  right  to  demand  that  it  be  employed,  and  in 
such  a  way  as  to  add  to  the  well-being  of  all. 

The  idle  rich  and  the  idle  poor  have  no  place  in  a 
Christian  order  of  things.  The  coming  of  the  Kingdom  is 
delayed  by  every  person  who  lives  an  unproductive  life. 

(d)  Cooperation,  rather  than  ruthless  competition  and 
destructive  conflict,  is  the  organizing  principle  upon  which 
the  progress  of  the  human  order  depends.  A  football  team 
teaches  us  that  the  right  sort  of  competition  may  take 
place  on  the  basis  of  cooperation.  To  fight  for  the  good 
things  of  life  as  men  contend  for  the  spoils  of  battle  is  to 
pervert  a  worthy  instinct,  which,  if  put  to  work  in  the 
realm  of  the  ideal,  will  prove  to  have  enormous  creative 
power. 

Questions  foe  Discussion 

1.  Cite  instances  of  the  interest  of  both  Old  and  New 
Testament  writers  in  such  subjects  as  the  heading  of  this 
chapter. 

2.  Give  some  of  the  reasons  why  men  do  not  alv/ays 
place  as  high  a  value  upon  human  life  as  Jesus  did. 


THE  WAGE  PROBLEM  35 

3.  How  do  the  principles  declared  by  Paul  tend  to 
eliminate  slavery,  in  all  its  phases,  from  society? 

4.  Can  you  find  an  instance  of  the  application  of  the 
principle  of  the  living  wage  or  of  profit  sharing  ?  Describe 
the  result. 

5.  Does  any  other  institution  than  the  church  so  unself- 
ishly proclaim  the  principle  of  the  "square  deaP'  for  all  ? 

6.  Has  the  war  lowered  or  heigthened  our  ideas  of  hu- 
man values? 

7.  If  all  parties  concerned  are  not  willing  to  share  in 
self-sacrifice,  how  can  right  ideals  be  applied  to  the  wage 
problem  ? 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE   CHRISTIAN  AND  WORKING  CONDITIONS 

For  reference  and  study:  Exod.  5.  1-21;  Deut.  15.  1-18; 
Matt.  11.  28-30;  25.  14-30;  Eph.  6.  5-8;  Phil.  2.  1-4; 
Col.  3.  22-25. 

The  New  Emphasis  Upon   Envieonment 

1.  Influence  of  environment. — We  are  all  greatly  influ- 
enced by  our  surroundings.  If  we  live  in  a  pleasant  neigh- 
borhood, among  pleasant  people,  in  a  comfortable  home  up 
to  the  standard  of  modern  requirements,  we  have  a  much 
better  chance  in  life  than  if  conditions  are  the  opposite. 
If  we  work  in  clean,  well-lighted,  well-ventilated  surround- 
ings, w^e  are  likely  to  be  better  workers  and  to  do  better 
work  than  in  less  favorable  conditions.  Our  environ- 
ment, whatever  it  may  be,  has  a  profound  influence  upon 
our  character  and  upon  the  output  of  our  lives.  It  influ- 
ences our  viewpoint. 

History  abounds  in  examples  of  those  who  have  risen 
above  their  environment  to  a  noble  plane  of  living;  but 
this  does  not  alter  the  fact  that  the  average  person  is 
very  largely  determined  by  his  surroundings. 

This  principle  applies  to  the  working  world,  and  es- 
pecially to  working  conditions.  Sweatshops  such  as  ex- 
isted in  our  leading  cities  until  very  recently,  living  quar- 
ters in  the  slums  in  which  great  numbers  of  workers  were 
crowded  together,  factories  without  any  provision  for  sani- 
tary needs,  destroyed  men  and  women  even  though  they 
poured  forth  their  contributions  to  the  wealth  of  the 
world. 

When  the  workers  themselves  began  to  be  considered 
with  more  Christian  thought,  some  of  the  worst  of  these 
conditions  were  corrected.  It  was  the  desire  to  give  the 
workers  a  chance  to  live  normal  lives  quite  as  much  as 
the  desire  to  improve  the  quality  and  increase  the  quantity 

36 


WORKING  CONDITIONS  37 

of  their  product  that  led  to  many  of  the  changes  for  the 
better. 

2.  Working  conditions. — To-day  it  is  possible  to  visit 
great  industrial  plants  where  the  working  conditions  are 
all  that  could  be  desired.  The  effect  of  such  environment 
upon  the  workers  is  very  marked.  A  recent  investigation 
showed  that  two  great  factories  in  which  marked  attention 
had  been  given  to  the  working  conditions  had  set  a  new 
standard  in  efficiency  and  productiveness.  This  result 
was  largely  due  to  the  improved  morale  of  the  workers 
brought  about  by  improved  conditions. 

Look  up,  in  your  own  community,  the  shop  or  factory 
that  stands  out  as  a  conspicuous  example  of  the  best  work- 
ing conditions.  Visit  that  factory.  Then  visit  a  factory  of 
the  opposite  kind,  if  you  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  able 
to  find  one  in  your  community,  and  then  ask  yourself 
where  the  Christian  character,  where  Christian  ideals, 
would  have  the  better  chance.  Consider  the  effect  of  con- 
ditions upon  the  output. 

In  Exod.  5.  1-21  we  have  a  picture  of  intolerable  working 
conditions.  Autocratic  demands  were  made  upon  defense- 
less men  and  women.  God  raised  up  a  great  leader  to  lead 
his  people  from  bondage  into  freedom.  Did  Pharaoh's 
cruel  treatment  of  the  Hebrews  have  anj^thing  to  do  w^ith 
God's  righteous  judgment  upon  him?  Does  the  moral 
order  of  the  world  include  industry  and  industrial  condi- 
tions, and  will  God  vindicate  this  order? 

Some  Effects  of  Working  Conditions 

1.  Social  effects. — Working  conditions  affect  not  only 
the  workers  but  all  the  members  of  society.  The  most 
direct  effect  is  of  course  upon  the  workers  themselves.  A 
social  worker  one  day  found  a  young  boy  who  deliberately 
committed  a  minor  crime  in  order  that  he  might  be  com- 
mitted to  the  reformatory,  because,  as  he  said,  conditions 
there  were  so  much  better  than  the  only  ones  he  knew  else- 
where. Truly  a  mistaken  judgment,  but  one  perfectly  nat- 
ural in  that  particular  case.  In  another  instance  a  group 
of  philanthropic  persons  was  raising  a  sum  of  money  for  a 
man  broken  by  his  working  conditions.    The  burden  of  his 


38  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

support  fell  back  upon  right-minded  persons.  Attention  to 
conditions  on  the  part  of  right-minded  employers  would 
have  prevented  the  situation  from  developing. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  one  of  the  great  industrial  plants 
of  the  Middle  West  a  young  man  who  had  risen  from  an 
obscure  place  to  one  of  great  trust  in  the  production  de- 
partment of  the  business  told  how  the  excellent  working 
conditions  had  been  one  of  his  strongest  incentives  to  be 
and  to  do  his  best.  The  managers  of  that  plant  in  that  one 
instance  have  reaped  a  dividend  abundantly  justifying  their 
expenditure,  not  to  speak  of  the  higher  ends  served  by  their 
Christian  policy. 

2.  Moral  effects. — Good  and  bad  working  conditions 
have  a  decided  moral  effect  upon  both  the  workers  and 
society.  Men  and  women  cannot  live  and  work  without 
ideals  any  more  than  they  can  exist  without  bread.  What 
sort  of  ideals  can  be  maintained  in  foul,  depressing  condi- 
tions? Bodily  fiber  is  weakened  and  moral  powers  are 
sapped.  Good  conditions  tend  to  elevate  the  ideals  of  life. 
Much  of  the  soap-box  oratory  in  New  York  City,  with  its 
protest  against  the  existing  order  of  society,  is  the  revolt 
of  souls  starved  to  death  in  conditions  falling  far  below 
the  level  of  human,  not  to  say  Christian  standards.  Men 
cannot  work  in  cheerless  quarters,  in  stifling  atmosphere, 
for  a  bare  subsistence,  without  turning  against  those  whom 
they  hold  to  be  responsible. 

But  the  other  side  of  the  picture  presents  a  marked 
contrast.  Working  within  good  conditions,  a  large  group 
of  unskilled  workmen  recently  gathered  at  the  noon  hour 
to  listen  to  an  address  of  deep  moral  and  religious  import. 
Their  leader  was  a  man  high  in  the  management  of  the 
concern.  Eight  conditions  had  helped  to  establish  right 
relations  between  those  at  the  bottom  and  those  at  the  top 
of  the  process.  The  great  wheels  of  industry  stopped  for 
the  voice  of  song  and  prayer. 

3.  Influence  upon  home  life. — Working  conditions  have 
a  strong  influence  upon  the  home  life  of  the  workers.  Here 
too  the  influence  by  no  means  stops  with  the  workers. 
Nothing  affects  society  for  good  or  ill  more  profoundly 
than  the  home  life  of  the  people.     Think  of  the  number 


WOEKING  CONDITIONS  39 

of  hours  spent  by  the  average  worker  at  his  task.  In  com- 
parison his  waking  hours  in  his  home  are  few.  If  he 
returns  after  a  long  day's  work  enfeebled  in  body  and 
broken  in  spirit  by  devitalizing  surroundings,  what  inter- 
est and  strength  will  remain  for  the  building  up  of  the 
kind  of  home  life  essential  to  the  welfare  of  the  republic? 
Cleanliness,  order,  wholesome  working  conditions,  will 
carry  over  into  the  life  of  the  home  by  an  unconscious 
process.  All  social  workers  will  testify  to  the  direct  influ- 
ence of  good  or  bad  working  conditions  upon  the  family 
life  of  our  cities  and  industrial  communities. 

4.  The  price  of  inhuman  conditions. — Crime,  disease,  de- 
pendency, are  a  part  of  the  toll  paid  by  the  workers  and 
eventually  by  society  for  the  privilege  of  maintaining  inhu- 
man working  conditions.  The  entire  bill  cannot  be  charged 
to  this  cause,  but  the  proportion  is  so  large  that  thinking 
persons  may  well  ask  themselves  how  long  such  conditions 
are  to  be  tolerated  in  any  civilized  community.  An  influ- 
ential writer  recently  declared  that  the  need  of  America 
just  now  is  that  a  policy  of  "enlightened  selfishness"  be 
put  into  operation.  It  is  rather  late  in  the  day  for  that 
kind  of  talk.  But  what  the  writer  undoubtedly  meant  was 
that  the  time  had  come  for  society  to  consider  the  effect 
upon  all  the  men,  women,  and  children  of  any  practice  it 
follows,  any  policy  it  adopts. 

As  the  charges  of  industry  are  eventually  passed  on  to 
the  consumer,  would  it  not  be  better  for  us  to  pay  the  costs 
of  wholesome  working  conditions  and  pay  less  for  the 
upkeep  of  jails,  hospitals,  and  almshouses?  Looked  at  as 
a  purely  economic  question,  would  not  this  be  preferable? 

The  kind  of  mutual  cooperation  and  understanding  set 
forth  in  Eph.  6.  5-8  will  be  greatly  accelerated  by  giving 
due  attention  to  the  conditions  of  labor.  The  worker  is  to 
give  an  honest  service,  and  the  man  in  the  position  of 
greater  authority  is  to  treat  all  those  under  him  with  the 
consideration  due  those  for  whom  Christ  died. 

The  Christian  Attitude  Toward  Working  Conditions 

1.  Christian  concern. — From  the  first  the  teaching  of 
Jesus  has  caused  men  and  women  to  take  an  interest  in 


40  SOCIAL  EELATIOXSHIPS 

matters  that  did  not  directly  affect  themselves.  Paul  was 
not  a  slave,  yet  he  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
Onesimus,  who  was  a  slave,  and  wrote  to  Philemon  regard- 
ing his  welfare.  John  Wesley  was  not  unable  to  secure 
medical  advice  and  attendance  if  he  needed  it,  but  his  con- 
cern for  the  poor  led  him  to  open  the  first  dispensary  in 
London. 

The  Christian  centuries  are  crowded  with  self-denying 
services  on  the  part  of  those  who  have  had  nothing  directly 
to  gain  from  their  devotion.  And  perhaps  our  religion  has 
no  greater  marvel  to  report  than  this:  it  makes  people 
interested  in  all  that  affects,  for  good  or  ill,  the  members 
of  our  human  family. 

Large  numbers  of  Christian  people  are  not  directly  con- 
cerned with  this  question  of  the  conditions  of  labor.  They 
themselves  and  the  members  of  their  families  live  and 
work  somewhat  removed  from  the  area  of  toil  within  which 
the  pressure  of  industrial  surroundings  is  felt.  It  is  the 
plain  duty  of  such  to  get  into  sufficiently  close  contact 
with  the  question  to  feel  its  immense  significance  to  un- 
counted numbers  of  their  fellow  human  beings.  The  Chris- 
tian attitude  is  not  one  of  unconcern  and  aloofness. 

A  Christian  minister  was  one  day  speaking  upon  such  a 
question  when  he  was  reminded  by  one  of  his  hearers  that 
the  subject  was  no  concern  of  his.  The  minister  at  once 
replied  that,  as  questions  of  right  and  wrong  were  involved, 
it  ivas  a  concern  of  his ;  that  he  had  hardly  any  other  con- 
cern than  to  deal  with  such  questions  when  their  bearing 
upon  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  of  God  was  considered. 

2.  Duty  of  the  capitalist. — The  Christian  stockholder, 
the  Christian  employer,  owes  it  to  himself,  to  society,  to 
the  church,  to  get  the  right  attitude  toward  working  con- 
ditions. Just  to  remember  how  much  of  life  is  lived 
within  these  conditions  by  the  toilers  should  be  enough  to 
make  every  right-minded  person  desire  that  such  conditions 
should  be  the  best  possible  in  the  circumstances.  Here  is 
an  outstanding  instance  where  human  rights  should  have 
precedence  over  property  rights  whenever  the  issue  between 
the  two  arises. 

Profits  and  dividends  are  a  legitimate  concern  of  indus- 


WORKING  CONDITIONS  41 

trial  enterprise,  but  if  these  are  gained  at  the  cost  of  right 
conditions  of  work  for  those  who,  by  the  output  of  their 
strength  and  skill,  do  so  much  to  make  them  possible,  the 
plainest  teachings  of  Jesus  are  being  disregarded. 

3.  Duty  of  the  laborer. — The  Christian  workingman 
must  take  the  right  attitude  toward  this  question.  He  is 
sometimes  the  victim  of  misinformed,  misguided  leader- 
ship. It  is  not  always  the  case  that  he  realizes  the  diffi- 
culties in  a  given  situation.  Frequently  he  seems  to  be 
quite  as  intolerant  of  the  desires  and  even  the  needs  of 
others  as  are  those  whom  he  so  bitterly  condemns.  Let 
us  admit  that  time  and  again  he  has  had  cause  to  complain 
bitterly  of  the  treatment  he  has  received.  But  he  must 
believe  in  the  right  purpose  of  those  who  are  trying  to 
second  his  efforts  toward  better  things  and  must  himself 
apply  the  Christian  principle  that  he  expects  and  has  a 
right  to  demand  that  others  shall  obey. 

The  Christian's   Opportunity 

1.  Sympathy  and  understanding.— It  has  already  been 
suggested  that  sympathy  and  mutual  understanding  must 
be  cultivated.  All  who  are  directly  concerned  and  all  who 
are  indirectly  concerned  must  cooperate  to  create  an  atmos- 
phere within  which  conciliation  and  good"  will  may  flourish. 

The  members  of  a  "case  committee"  organized  by  one  of 
the  important  philanthropies  of  a  great  city  were  drawn 
from  all  the  churches  of  a  community.  Protestant,  Catho- 
lic, and  Jew  were  represented.  Week'by  week  these  people 
met  to  consider  cases  of  human  need,  many  of  them 
arising  out  of  bad  industrial  conditions.  Crowded  and 
unsanitary  quarters,  dust-laden  atmosphere,  unguarded 
machinery,  had  taken  their  toll  of  human  misery.  But 
this  was  discovered :  In  every  instance  headway  was  made  if 
conditions  of  sympathy  and  mutual  understanding  could 
be  established.  All  the  fault  was  not  on  one  side,  for 
sometimes  the  workers  had  failed  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
opportunities  for  betterment  which  had  been  provided. 
Sometimes  the  employer  had  the  wrong  viewpoint,  some- 
times the  worker  was  at  fault  in  this  respect.  But  the 
members  of  the  committee,  by  means  of  their  unfailing 


42  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

sympathy  with  all  those  concerned  and  by  their  sincere 
efforts  to  understand  the  situation  in  its  entirety,  contrib- 
uted toward  the  well-being  of  men  and  women  and  greatly 
helped  forward  some  radical  changes  in  conditions.  With- 
out such  sympathy  and  mutual  understanding  this  result 
would  never  have  been  possible. 

2.  The  social  survey. — Survey  work  is  not  very  popular 
just  now.  The  last  few  years  have  seen  so  much  of  this 
undertaken  and  so  little  by  comparison  accomplished  that 
some  have  come  to  think  it  a  waste  of  time  and  effort. 
This  is  a  wrong  conclusion.  Social  conditions  are  so  im- 
portant to  the  welfare  of  the  whole  community  that  they 
must  become  a  matter  of  common  knowledge.  If  the 
w^orking  conditions  of  industry  are  what  they  ought  to  be, 
that  fact  should  be  made  known.  It  is  a  great  asset  of 
the  community.  If  they  are  not  right,  they  are  not  likely 
to  be  made  so  until  the  minds  and  consciences  of  men  are 
stirred  by  the  facts. 

It  is  usually  rather  difficult  to  get  volunteers  for  survey 
work.  People  know  that  time  and  labor  are  involved. 
They  know  that  some  rather  unpleasant  experiences  await 
them.  But  if  as  Christians  we  serve  the  community  in  only 
those  ways  which  are  easy  and  congenial,  we  are  not  heed- 
ing the  call  of  duty. 

One  entire  community  was  lifted  to  a  new  level  of  social 
life  by  means  of  a  thorough  survey  of  its  working  and 
other  conditions  and  the  constructive  action  following. 

3.  Welfare  work. — Another  opportunity  to  the  Chris- 
tian who  would  find  socially  useful  activity  is  offered  by 
welfare  work.  It  may  be  sometimes  the  case  that  such 
work  is  undertaken  as  a  substitute  for  something  more 
costly  and  more  radical.  If  welfare  work  ever  takes  the 
place  of  an  honest  effort  to  improve  conditions  essentially 
bad;  if  its  purpose  is  to  make  the  workers  a  little  less 
restive  in  such  conditions,  it  deserves  condemnation.  But 
if  undertaken  with  the  right  purpose  and  in  the  right 
spirit,  it  is  of  immense  social  usefulness. 

Welfare  work  must  never  savor  of  paternalism.  Self- 
respecting  persons  do  not  want  those  who  are  in  more 
favored  material  conditions  than  themselves  to  patronize 


WORKING  CONDITIONS  43 

them.  Welfare  work  as  a  fad  is  an  offense  to  God  and 
man.  It  savors  of  the  very  thing  that  Christianity  seeks 
to  destroy.  But  welfare  work  undertaken  as  a  sincere 
attempt  to  make  life  more  liveable  and  work  more  enjoy- 
able and  profitable  to  all  concerned  has  a  large  place  in 
modern  industry. 

If  we  have  talents  or  gifts  or  graces  which  we  desire  to 
share  with  the  manual  workers,  just  as  we  desire  to  share 
them  with  our  closest  friends;  if  we  can  go  into  the  shop 
and  factory  just  as  we  go  into  the  parlor  or  drawing  room, 
to  contribute  something  toward  the  enjoyment  of  all,  we 
may  send  out  influences  for  good  far  and  wide. 

But  in  every  instance  the  work  should  be  carried  on  as 
a  cooperative  enterprise.  Employers,  workers,  and  social 
secretaries  and  those  who  help  in  carrying  on  the  pro- 
gram, whatever  it  may  be,  should  work  together  in  mutual 
sympathy  and  understanding. 

4.  Public  opinon. — Legislation  is  required  in  many  in- 
stances to  correct  bad  working  conditions.  But  the  legis- 
lation is  hopeless  or  largely  inoperative  unless  it  has  grown 
out  of  and  is  sustained  by  an  intelligent  public  opinion. 
Perhaps  if  the  public  opinion  were  as  strong  as  it  should 
be,  the  legislation  would  be  largely  uncalled  for.  The 
Christian  must  help  to  arouse  and  form  that  opinion. 
He  must  help  to  sustain  it,  for  good  people  get  tired.  He 
must  be  fair  and  just  and  generous  to  all  the  parties  con- 
cerned, but  very  firm  in  his  stand  for  human  rights. 

In  the  legislature  of  an  Eastern  State  a  group  of  en- 
lightened churchmen  was  largely  responsible  for  the  pass- 
ing of  laws  that  improved  the  working  conditions  of  multi- 
tudes of  workers  who  did  not  even  know  that  the  church- 
men had  the  slightest  interest  in  their  welfare. 

Questions  for  Discussion 

1.  Give  one  or  two  Old  Testament  laws  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  less  favored.  How  do  such  laws  restrain  men 
in  their  use  of  power  for  selfish  ends? 

2.  What  are  some  of  the  effects  of  home  and  school  sur- 
roundings upon  character? 

3.  If  the  profits  of  an  industry  must  be  reduced  in  order 


U  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

to  establish  right  working  conditions,  what  should  be  the 
course  of  Christian  employers  ? 

4.  How  may  the  less  intelligent  and  responsive  workers 
be  helped  to  make  a  good  use  of  the  privilege  of  a  whole- 
some environment? 

5.  Cite  instances  of  Christ's  special  care  for  the  weak 
and  heavy  laden. 

6.  If  a  man  who  openly  disregards  Christian  principles 
in  dealing  with  manual  workers  seeks  church  membership, 
what  course  should  be  followed  ? 

7.  Trace  out  the  direct  influence  of  the  church  upon  the 
environment  within  which  you  live. 


CHAPTEE  V 

THE   CHRISTIAN  AND   PUBLIC   HEALTH 

For  reference  and  study:  Gen.  4.  9-10;  Exod.  20.  13; 
2  Kings  4.  38-41;  Matt.  8.  1-4;  Mark  1.  21-45;  John 
5.  1-9 ;  James  5.  13-15. 

Health  in  the  Ministry  of  Jesus 

1.  The  Good  Physician. — It  is  not  surprising  that  one 
trained  in  the  religion  of  the  Old  Testament  should  realize 
the  importance  of  physical  well-being.  Health  regulations 
fill  a  large  place  in  the  legislative  enactments^  and  in  some 
of  the  ceremonial  observances  the  health  of  the  people, 
quite  as  much  as  the  formal  worship  of  God,  is  considered. 

Eeverence  for  life  is  fundamental  to  both  Old  Testament 
and  New.  Exod.  20.  13  proclaims  a  commandment  of 
far-reaching  application. 

From  the  opening  of  liis  ministry  Jesus  cared  for  the 
sick  bodies  and  minds  of  men.  He  stands  forth  from 
the  pages  of  the  Gospels  as  the  Good  Physician.  In  Mark 
1.  21-45  we  have  a  somewhat  full  and  detailed  account  of 
his  activity  as  the  bringer  of  health  to  men. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  Jesus  was  himself  a  person 
of  abounding  physical  health  and  vitality.  Representa- 
tions of  him  to  the  contrary  have  slight  if  any  basis  in  the 
writings.  x\nd  it  is  almost  unthinkable  that  he  should 
have  spread  the  contagion  of  health  as  he  did  had  he  not 
himself  been  a  person  of  large  and  deep  physical  as  well 
as  spiritual  reserves. 

Make  a  list  of  the  most  striking  examples  of  the  activity 
of  the  Good  Physician  as  recorded  by  Luke  and  see  if  this 
does  not  justify  the  deep  modern  interest  in  questions  of 
health. 

2.  Early  Christian  practice. — Early  Christians  followed 
the  example  and  teaching  of  Jesus.  In  James  5.  13-15 
we  undoubtedly  have  the  reflection  of  a  common  method 

45 


46  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

of  healing.  This  exhortation  would  have  been  quite  mean- 
ingless had  it  not  been  the  case  that  prayer  and  anointing 
were  much  in  use  for  the  healing  of  the  sick. 

For  long  the  healing  arts,  such  as  they  were,  were  prac- 
ticed by  the  church,  and  people  came  generally  to  think 
of  religion  as  being  concerned  with  the  body  quite  as  much 
as  with  the  soul. 

Asceticism,  with  its  slight  regard  for  bodily  conditions, 
was  a  protest  against  what  had  possibly  taken  too  large 
a  place  in  the  thought  and  practice  of  the  times;  but  a 
truer  emphasis  will  give  the  body  its  due  and  insist  that 
questions  of  physical  well-being  are  closely  bound  up  with 
questions  of  spiritual  well-being. 

Find  one  or  two  examples  in  which  the  apostles  wrought 
works  of  healing. 

Modern  Interest  in  Health 

1.  Present-day  interest. — Health  questions  of  all  sorts 
are  topics  of  absorbing  interest  to-day.  These  have  to  do 
not  only  with  the  physical  well-being  of  the  individual  but 
with  the  health  of  society.  The  Christian  religion,  with  its 
emphasis  upon  the  value  of  life,  has  widened  the  interest 
in  this  subject,  until  to-day  it  embraces  mankind. 

The  experience  of  the  nation  during  the  war  emphasized 
this  question.  It  was  discovered  that  a  large  percentage  of 
the  young  manhood  of  the  nation  was  physically  unfit. 
The  herding  of  great  numbers  of  persons  in  the  centers 
of  population,  unhealthful  conditions  of  living  and  work- 
ing, devitalizing  amusements,  constantly  increasing  ner- 
vous strain  and  tension,  were  found  to  be  pouring  forth 
a  stream  of  consequences  into  society  which  threatened  to 
pollute  life  at  its  source  and  all  along  its  way. 

For  many  years  there  has  been  a  multiplication  of  so- 
called  religions  and  philosophies  dealing  with  the  question 
of  health  and  how  to  obtain  and  keep  it. 

2.  Public  health. — This  interest  has  carried  over  into 
the  world  of  social  and  industrial  relations.  States  and 
communities  have  been  aroused  from  torpor  and  indiffer- 
ence to  a  serious  concern  for  the  physical  well-being  of  the 
population.     Social  practices  and  industrial  organizations 


PUBLIC  HEALTH  47 

have  been  considered  from  the  same  viewpoint.  A  man 
cannot  any  longer  do  what  he  will  with  that  which  belongs 
to  him  if  he  infringes  the  rights  and  requirements  of 
public  health.  An  industry  in  most  enlightened  communi- 
ties makes  its  strongest  appeal  to  the  public  by  a  policy 
of  enlightened  regard  for  the  physical  well-being  of  the 
workers.  One  of  the  most  serious  charges  which  can  be  laid 
against  any  industrial  practice  to-day  is  that  it  tends 
to  destroy  the  health  of  the  workers.  Wages  and  hours  and 
working  conditions  have  their  place  in  the  interest  of  right- 
minded  people.  But  these  do  not  have  the  same  power  of 
appeal  as  questions  involving  the  health  of  the  workers, 
especially  of  the  young. 

The  Christian-  Especially  Concerned 

1.  The  abundant  life.— The  Christian  of  all  persons  sees 
or  should  see  the  scope  of  the  redemptive  purpose  of 
Christ.  Salvation  is  to  him  a  term  of  familiar  use.  He 
understands  by  that  term  a  saving  purpose  broad  enough  to 
cover  the  whole  of  life  and  the  whole  of  human  society.  To 
be  fully  saved  is  to  possess  fullness  of  bodily,  mental,  moral, 
and  spiritual  health.  The  mission  of  Jesus  to  the  world 
is  fully  defined  in  his  own  words :  "I  came  that  they  may 
have  life,  and  may  have  it  abundantly .^^ 

2.  Body  and  spirit.— The  Christian  understands  the  su- 
preme value  of  the  soul.  And  just  because  of  that  he 
rightly  values  the  importance  of  the  body.  He  knows 
that  in  its  own  place  the  physical  life  is  just  as  important 
as  the  spiritual  life,  and  that  in  the  great  majority  of 
cases  the  life  of  the  spirit  has  a  much  better  chance  for  its 
development  and  expression  if  the  bodily  health  is  sound. 

While  there  are  examples  of  frail  and  broken  invalids 
who  for  sheer  beauty  of  soul  and  splendor  of  spirit  have  no 
peers,  the  Christian  knows  that  Jesus  himself  would  not 
have  spent  so  much  time  in  a  ministry  to  the  physical  needs 
of  men  if  bodily  health  were  unimportant.  It  is  the  value 
of  the  soul  that  leads  him  properly  to  see  the  value  of  the 
body. 

3.  Christian  concern.— The  Christian's  broadened  hu- 
man sympathies  give  him  an  especial  concern  for  the  physi- 


48  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

cal  well-being  of  others.  When  he  hears  the  statement 
made  that  "more  than  sixty  thousand  lives  are  needlessly 
sacrificed  every  year  in  the  L^'nited  States  from  diseases 
which  modern  science  knows  how  to  prevent"  he  is  not 
unmoved.  When  he  realizes  that  the  dread  of  sickness  and 
disease  hangs  like  a  dark  pall  over  the  lives  of  multitudes 
of  the  unprivileged,  his  sympathies  are  stirred.  And  when 
he  learns — as  learn  he  must  if  he  give  the  matter  any  seri- 
ous attention — that  much  of  this  waste  and  misery  is 
rooted  in  man^s  inhumanity  to  man,  he  enlists  as  a  "good 
soldier  of  Jesus  Christ"  to  make  war  upon  the  enemies  of 
mankind's  health,  happiness,  and  usefulness. 

Some  Closely  Eelated  Questions 

1.  The  housing  problem. — The  question  of  the  health  of 
the  individual  and  of  society  does  not  stand  alone.  There 
are  many  other  matters  so  closely  related  to  this  one  that 
they  cannot  be  overlooked.  Unless  these  interests  are 
properly  cared  for,  health  cannot  become  the  general  pos- 
session and  the  usual  condition  of  the  members  of  society. 

First  among  these  is  the  question  of  housing.  Many 
of  us  live  in  communities  where  the  housing  question  is 
not  an  issue;  but  if  we  dwell  within  or  near  the  limits  of 
a  large  city,  we  have  not  far  to  go  to  discover  conditions 
that  make  the  possession  of  sound  bodily  health  almost 
impossible.  At  great  cost  we  equip  hospitals  and  mobilize 
a  splendid  corps  of  doctors  and  visiting  nurses  to  care 
for  physical  and  mental  breakdown,  but  often  we  do 
not  go  to  the  source  of  the  trouble  and  compel  property 
owners  and  landlords  to  make  sanitary  provisions  for  their 
tenants.  A  city  pastor  was  called  to  visit  a  sick  boy.  He 
found  him  in  a  narrow  hall  bedroom  without  any  natural 
light  and  with  no  direct  ventilation.  Was  the  duty  of  that 
pastor  discharged  when  he  offered  prayer  for  the  recovery 
of  the  sick  and  spoke  words  of  consolation  to  the  mother? 

We  are  told  by  investigators  that  in  some  districts  so 
great  is  the  congestion  of  the  living  quarters  of  the  work- 
men that  one  shift  of  men  uses  sleeping  quarters  by  day, 
and  another  shift  of  men  the   same   quarters  at  night. 


PUBLIC  HEALTH  49 

What  chance  has  the  body,  mind,  or  soul  in  such  condi- 
tions ? 

Much  has  recently  been  done  to  improve  such  condi- 
tions and  to  make  their  continuance  impossible.  Old  tene- 
ments have  been  pulled  down  and  suitable  buildings  erected 
in  their  stead.  Some  large  industrial  plants  have  taken 
the  lead  in  such  work  by  building  model  dwellings  for 
their  workpeople,  which  are  rented  to  them  at  fair  rates 
and  without  any  suggestion  of  paternalism. 

2.  Pure  food. — Pure  food  and  clean  drinking  water  are 
essential  to  good  health.  Usually  the  well-to-do  and  the 
rich  have  a  great  advantage  over  the  poorer  residents  of 
our  larger  communities ;  yet  in  a  land  of  such  abundance 
as  our  own  it  is  easily  possible  that  such  conditions  for 
the  distribution  of  wholesome  food  should  be  established 
as  to  give  every  honest  worker  a  fair  opportunity. 

In  one  large  city  it  was  discovered  that  unclean  milk 
was  being  sold  to  the  poorer  people,  and  that  the  babies 
in  their  families  were  dying  of  preventable  diseases.  A 
group  of  philanthropic  persons  largely  recruited  from  the 
churches  took  up  the  matter  and  showed  the  members  of 
the  city  council  how  great  was  the  wrong  being  done  those 
unable  to  defend  themselves.  A  sanitary  and  practicable 
method  was  outlined.  Finally  a  small  appropriation  was 
secured,  and  a  few  milk  stations  were  opened.  An  import- 
ant bureau  of  the  department  of  public  health  grew  out 
of  that  experiment.  Thousands  of  lives  were  saved,  and 
the  tone  of  public  health  throughout  a  large  section  of  the 
city  was  greatly  improved. 

In  2  Kings  4.  38-41  we  have  an  example  of  the  close 
connection  between  questions  of  food  and  bodily  well-being. 
The  prophet  was  evidently  the  possessor  of  a  knowledge 
the  others  did  not  have.  He  made  good  use  of  that  knowl- 
edge to  save  the  lives  of  his  associates. 

3.  The  transportation  problem.— Questions  of  trans- 
portation are  vital  in  any  consideration  of  the  health  of 
large  aggregations  of  the  people.  If  transportation  facili- 
ties are  not  adequate,  if  rates  are  so  high  that  only  those 
in  comfortable  circumstances  are  able  to  pay  them,  great 
numbers  of  people  are  compelled  to  herd  themselves  to- 


60  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

gether  in  such  quarters  as  they  can  find,  near  their  work, 
and  often  in  the  most  overcrowded  sections.  The  result 
is  every  way  bad  for  the  physical  well-being  of  the  entire 
community. 

Sunlight  and  pure  air  are  as  essential  to  health  as  pure 
food  and  water.  The  more  these  blessings  are  restricted 
in  their  possession  and  enjo}Tnent,  the  farther  away  are 
we  from  the  coming  of  the  reign  of  God  in  the  earth.  So 
we  see  there  may  be  a  very  close  connection  between  trolley 
and  jitney  service,  cheap  railway  accommodations,  and  the 
creating  of  that  empire  in  which  love  and  life  are  to  reflect 
the  purpose  of  God. 

4.  Public  amusements. — Although  it  is  to  receive  sepa- 
rate consideration  the  amusement  question  must  have  a 
paragraph  in  connection  with  the  question  of  public  health. 
The  way  the  people  play  has  much  to  do  with  their  physical 
ill-being  or  well-being.  Certain  popular  forms  of  so-called 
recreation  are  condemnable,  if  not  on  moral  grounds  or  for 
reasons  of  good  taste,  then  on  the  ground  of  their  hurtful- 
ness  to  the  health  of  those  who  engage  in  them.  The 
Christian  should  also  consider  the  physical  well-being  of 
those  whose  lives  are  largely  spent  in  providing  amusement 
for  him.  Sometimes  he  may  escape  without  harm,  but 
what  of  the  others  who  are  compelled  to  make  a  living 
catering  to  his  enjoyment? 

So^kiE  Forms  of  Christian  Cooperation 

1.  Recreational  ministry. — The  buildings  of  the 
churches  may  be  used  far  more  widely  than  at  present  to 
promote  the  physical  well-being  of  the  people. 

Movements  like  the  Boy  Scouts  and  the  Girl  Scouts 
should  find  hearty  cooperation  on  the  part  of  Christian 
people.  We  are  all  familiar  with  the  story  of  the  church 
official  who  is  reported  to  have  told  Saint  Peter  that  he 
helped  to  save  the  carpets  of  the  church  but  was  com- 
pelled to  admit  that  he  had  not  done  very  much  to  save 
the  boys.    Happily  that  type  is  disappearing. 

One  large  city  church  found  that  its  social  work  had  out- 
grown its  recently  enlarged  accommodations.  The  time 
came  to  vote  whether  the  chapel  should  be  altered  and 


PUBLIC  HEALTH  51 

partially  dismantled  so  that  it  could  offer  enlarged  facili- 
ties for  athletics  to  a  large  group  of  boys,  or  whether  the 
boys  should  be  told  to  find  their  accommodations  else- 
where. Every  member  of  the  official  body  of  the  church 
voted  in  favor  of  making  the  changes  in  the  buildino-,  as 
much  as  some  of  them  regretted  those  changes,  rather 
than  turn  away  these  groups.  Large  numbers  of  boys, 
some  of  them  of  rather  restricted  opportunities,  have  rea- 
son to  remember  that  church  with  gratitude  not  only  for 
its  religious  teaching  and  moral  inspiration  but  for  its 
direct  contribution  to  their  bodily  well-being. 

In  the  same  neighborhood  pool  rooms  of  a  very  question- 
able character,  but  operating  legally,  made  a  bid  for  these 
same  boys.  AVhere  were  the  boys  more  likely  to  find  the 
bodily  and  mental  invigoration  needed — in  the  chapel  play- 
ing basketball  or  in  the  poolroom  ? 

A  church  should  investigate  vsdiether  "street-corneritis^^ 
is  epidemic  among  the  young  men  of  the  neighborhood  and, 
in  the  interest  of  public  health  quite  as  much  as  public 
morals,  seek  ways  of  ministering  to  the  bodies  of  youth,  to 
build  them  up  for  right  living. 

2.  Loan  fund. — In  almost  every  parish  there  are  those 
who  lack  for  the  necessary  things"  of  life  at  some  time  in 
their  experience.  Sickness  or  slack  work  is  often  responsi- 
ble. The  poor  fund,  as  it  is  often  called,  is,  except  in  very 
exceptional  cases,  an  out-of-date  way  of  showing  our  Chris- 
tian solicitude.  All  that  people  ordinarily  want  is  a 
chance  to  get  on  their  feet.  A  loan  fund  will  be  found  of 
great  usefulness  to  tide  such  persons  over  many  a  hard 
place.  Of  course  the  fund  will  be  administered  without 
publicity  and  without  interest  charges. 

A  certain  church  has  done  some  fine  Christian  service 
in  an  unostentatious  way  by  thus  assisting  some  of  its 
members  to  buy  coal  at  the  same  favorable  prices  as  those 
who  are  able  to  order  in  larger  quantities.  The  credit  of  a 
church  is  usually  very  good,  when  often  the  credit  of  an 
individual  may  be  just  as  good  but  not  recognized  by  a 
trading  company.  Let  the  churcli  take  the  place  of  the 
company  and,  in  the  interests  of  bodily  well-being,  supply 
the  lack  of  its  own  worthy  members.    Many  a  period  of  ill 


52  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

health  in  the  life  of  wage-earners  may  be  warded  off  by  an 
experiment  as  simple  as  this,  and  while  it  does  not  reach 
down  to  the  root  of  any  deep  trouble,  it  suggests  a  worthy 
form  of  Christian  ministry. 

3  Cooperation  with  social  agencies.^ — Cooperation  with  ex- 
isting agencies  must  be  freely  given  by  the  members  of  the 
church  group.  It  is  especially  desirable  that  some  of  the 
younger  members  should  be  drawn  into  such  forme  of 
activity. 

Sometimes  the  complaint  is  heard  that  health  activities 
in  a  community  have  gotten  so  far  away  from  the  churches 
as  to  lose  all  suggestion  of  Christian  purpose  and  spirit. 
If  this  is  ever  true,  the  fault  lies  at  the  door  of  Christian 
people  who  have  either  neglected  or  refused  to  cooperate 
with  such  agencies.  Of  course  nothing  narrowly  sectarian 
or  denominational  can  be  introduced,  nor  should  it  be  per- 
mitted. But  the  right  kind  of  cooperation  with  existing 
agencies  of  public  health  may  be  and  often  is  a  very  definite 
type  of  Christian  service.  A  community  usually  knows 
when  the  members  of  Christian  groups  are  withholding  or 
giving  this  form  of  service.  There  is  always  a  marked  reac- 
tion upon  the  church. 

Scientists  tell  us  that  the  white  plague  may  be  destroyed. 
In  many  communities  Red  Cross  seals  are  offered  for  sale 
at  least  once  a  year.  Why  should  not  the  members  of  a 
young  people's  society  be  enlisted  in  such  a  service  as  the 
sale  of  these  stamps  and  be  told  that  they  are  engaged  in 
a  public  health  crusade  in  the  name  of  the  Great  Physi- 
cian? The  Christian  should  hate  preventable  disease  as 
he  hates  sin,  and  he  should  make  a  relentless  war  upon 
both.  They  are,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  very  closely  inter- 
related. 

4.  Appreciation  of  service, — Let  the  church  constantly 
remember  those  who  are  giving  their  lives  for  the  health 
of  the  people.  There  are  many  ways  of  showing  an  appre- 
ciation of  this  large  group  of  disinterested  public  servants. 
One  church  has  for  several  years  invited  the  nurses  from 
near-by  hospitals  to  spend  two  or  three  social  evenings 
during  the  winter  in  its  social  rooms  as  its  guests.  Cath- 
olics and  Jews  along  with  Protestants  have  accepted  the 


PUBLIC  HEALTH  53 

invitation  and  enjoyed  the  hospitality  offered.  There  has 
never  been  the  slightest  effort  to  serve  any  ulterior  pur- 
pose. Just  one  thing  was  attempted :  to  show  a  group  of 
servants  of  the  community  that  a  Christian  church  appre- 
ciated what  was  being  done  for  the  good  of  all  the  people 
of  that  community  in  matters  of  public  nealth. 

Questions  for  Discussion 

1.  In  what  sense  is  one  man  responsible  for  the  well- 
being  of  another? 

2.  What  would  be  likely  to  be  the  attitude  of  Jesus,  if 
he  were  here  to-day,  toward  those  whose  bodies  are  broken 
and  whose  minds  are  sick? 

3.  Has  the  nation  a  greater  asset  than  the  health  of  its 
children  ? 

4.  If  it  is  a  question  between  immediate  material  profits 
and  costly  provisions  for  the  health  of  the  people,  what 
should  be  the  decision  ? 

5.  How  will  the  enforcement  of  the  Eighteenth  Amend- 
ment affect  the  health  of  the  people  ? 

6.  What  place  is  there  in  the  church  for  a  movement 
seeking  to  discover  and  proclaim  the  laws  of  highest  physi- 
cal and  mental  well-being  ? 

7.  Is  the  usual  interpretation  of  the  term  "salvation^' 
as  wide  as  the  ministry  of  Jesus  ?  In  what  respects  does  it 
come  short? 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  CHRISTIAN  AND  PUBLIC  AMUSEMENT 

For  reference  and  study:  Deut.  16.  13-17;  Neh.  8.  9-13; 
Zech.  8.  5;  Matt.  11.  16-lT;  Mark  10.  13-16;  John  2.  1- 
11;  1  Cor.  8.  1-13;  9.34-27. 

The  Play  Instinct 

1.  Significance  of  play. — The  play  instinct  is  a  part  of 
our  equipment.  It  manifests  itself  in  infancy  and  it  lives 
on  through  the  years.  In  the  boy  of  seven  it  is  more 
vigorously  alive  than  in  the  boy  of  seventy,  but  in  a  normal 
life  it  never  dies.  Pitiable  indeed  is  the  condition  of  the 
person  who  has  lost  it. 

This  instinct  is  not  naturally  Christian,  but  which  one  of 
the  instincts  is  ?  Not  the  hunting  instinct,  for  a  man  may 
grow  up  to  lead  a  predatory  life.  Not  hunger,  for  a  man 
may  become  a  glutton.  But  the  play  instinct,  like  every 
other  instinct,  may  be  put  to  a  Christian  use.  It  may 
become  a  powerful  force  in  the  building  of  a  good  life  and 
a  good  community.  It  may  be  perverted,  but  its  Christian 
possibilities  have  been  realized  by  few. 

Joseph  Lee  defines  the  play  instinct  as  "the  instinct 
toward  an  ideal.''  He  discovers  in  the  play  of  the  children 
the  reaching  out  toward  something  that  they  dimly  see, 
but  which  they  have  not  yet  realized.  The  boy  when  he 
dresses  himself  in  Indian  clothes  is  something  more  than 
a  boy  having  a  good  time.  The  little  girl  when  she  cares 
for  her  dolls  is  not  engaged  in  a  meaningless  pastime. 
Both  are  reaching  out  toward  qualities  and  habits  that 
will  come  into  use  later  in  life.  They  are  laying  hold  upon 
the  future  in  the  interests  of  a  broader  life  than  they  now 
possess. 

Tliis  is  not  only  true  of  the  earliest  years  of  life  but  of 
the  play  of  individuals  and  communities  in  later  develop- 

54 


PUBLIC  AMUSEMENT  65 

ment.    Without  play  great  realms  of  the  ideal  are  never 
entered,  individual  and  common  gains  never  won. 

2.  Present-day  conditions.  — We  are  living  in  a  time  that 
emphasizes  the  place  of  play  in  life.  It  may  be  shown 
with  good  reason  that  play  is  in  danger  of  filling  too  large 
a  place  in  the  program  of  the  individual  and  the  com- 
munity. Other  important  interests  may  suffer,  yet  we 
can  readily  see  some  reasons  for  what  is  taking  place. 

The  terrible  strain  and  tension  of  the  war  years  have 
been  relaxed.  Action  and  reaction  are  just  as  truly  laws  in 
the  realm  of  the  spirit  as  in  mechanics.  Life  cannot  be 
sustained  upon  one  level.  This  is  a  fact  with  which  we 
must  not  quarrel.  But  we  must  learn  how  to  make  use  of 
that  fact  in  the  interest  of  a  development  that  for  the 
moment  may  seem  to  have  suffered  a  setback. 

The  crowded  and  congested  conditions  of  modern  living 
are  in  part  responsible  for  what  we  see.  It  has  been  pointed 
out  that  play  is  nature's  way  of  compensating  for  over- 
strain. Work  in  unnatural  or  abnormal  conditions  takes 
so  much  out  of  people  that  it  is  not  surprising  that  they 
should  go  to  unwarranted  extremes  in  seeking  release  and 
recreation. 

There  is  a  strong  tendency  toward  community  action. 
The  old-time  activities  are  no  longer  maintained  under  the 
roof-tree  of  the  home.  The  old-time  interests  of  family 
life  are  not,  as  formerly,  cared  for  by  the  members  of  the 
family  group.  Eestaurants,  theaters,  department  stores, 
apartment  houses  express  community  tendencies.  This 
same  force  drives  people  out  and  away  from  the  home  and 
gives  a  great  impetus  to  the  desire  for  amusement. 

Is  Amusement  Ever  Christian  ? 

1.  Religious  festivals.— There  are  Christians  who  think 
it  a  sin  to  have  a  good  time.  Just  how  such  a  notion 
should  have  gotten  into  their  minds  it  would  be  hard  to 
say.  Tliey  certainly  did  not  derive  it  from  the  life  and 
teaching  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  was  brought  up  in  a  religion 
that  made  much  of  its  feasts  and  festivals.  If  the  Chris- 
tian religion  demanded  as  much  of  time  and  interest  for 
such  celebrations  as  the  Jewish  religion  in  the  time  of 


66  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

Christ,  many  would  protest.  But  Jesus  found  no  fault 
with  his  countrymen  on  this  score.  He  himself  kept  the 
feasts  of  his  time.  Deut.  16.  13-17  gives  us  a  light  upon 
the  practice  of  the  people.  Nehemiah  showed  himself  to 
be  master  in  his  understanding  of  the  human  heart  when 
(8.  9-12)  he  told  the  people  just  after  they  have  been 
called  to  a  strict  performance  of  the  duties  enjoined  by 
the  law,  *'Go  your  way,  eat  the  fat,  and  drink,  .  .  .  and 
send  portions  unto  him  for  whom  nothing  is  prepared." 

2.  The  practice  of  Jesus. — Jesus  himself  countenanced 
many  of  the  social  practices  of  his  own  generation.  He 
attended  wedding  ceremonies  and  he  v^as  a  g-uest  at  feasts 
even  when  these  were  not  spread  by  those  who  passed  as 
correct  religionists  in  the  community.  On  at  least  one 
occasion  he  saved  his  host  from  great  embarrassment  and 
contributed  directly  to  the  joy  of  all  those  attending  the 
feast  (John  2.  1-11).  Indeed,  so  free  and  genial  was  his 
own  social  life  that  they  called  him  a  "glutton  and  a  wine- 
bibber" — words  we  know  to  have  been  wholly  false,  yet 
words  that  indicate  to  us  that  he  never  took  up  the  attitude 
of  an  ascetic  toward  the  social  customs  of  his  own  time. 

3.  Is  amusement  Christian? — Amusement  is  Christian 
when  it  contributes  to  the  Christian  purpose  of  life.  Does 
amusement  contribute,  may  it  be  made  to  contribute,  to 
the  building  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  earth?  He 
would  indeed  be  a  rash  man  who  would  say  that  it  does  not 
and  cannot.  The  evidence  is  against  him.  Indeed,  in 
many  of  the  instances  of  those  who  are  perverting  the  true 
and  normal  play  instinct  there  is  the  underlying  purpose 
to  find  a  life  that  is  fuller  and  richer  than  the  one  pos- 
sessed. It  is  the  privilege  of  the  church  not  to  cry  out 
against  the  play  instinct  and  try  to  eradicate  it  from  nor- 
mal human  nature  but  to  show  how  it,  like  all  the  rest  of 
the  equipment  of  our  bodily  and  spiritual  nature,  may  be 
made  to  fulfill  God's  purpose  of  good  for  the  individual 
and  society. 

A  little  Negro  boy  from  a  home  of  poverty  was  romping 
at  a  Christmas  party  given  by  a  church  school  for  more 
than  a  hundred  children,  drawn  for  the  most  part  from 
families  of  the  same  sort,  when  he  was  heard  to  exclaim. 


PUBLIC  AMUSEMENT  57 

"God  bless  this  church!"  That  cry  sounded  as  good  to 
the  ears  of  the  pastor  as  the  same  wish  fervently  expressed 
by  a  saintly  man  in  the  prayer  service  a  night  or  two 
before. 

4.  Unchristian  amusement.— Tested  by  the  principle  we 
have  laid  down,  much  of  the  amusement  of  the  present  day 
is  not  Christian.  It  fails  to  serve  the  Christian  purpose. 
It  makes  harder  the  realization  of  that  purpose  by  the 
individual  and  by  society.  But  this  is  because  the  partic- 
ular type  in  question  is  not  what  it  ought  to  be,  not 
because  amusement  itself  is  out  of  place  in  the  program  of 
the  Christian  and  the  church.  Prohibitions  and  railing 
denunciations  will  accomplish  little  to  correct  the  condi- 
tions we  deplore.  They  often  have  exactly  the  opposite  ef- 
fect. This  is  an  opportunity  for  the  church  to  show  how 
much  of  the  constructive  imagination  it  has  in  dealing  with 
a  matter  of  immense  social  significance. 

The  Value  of  Community  Amusements 

1.  Community  amusements.— these  are  of  two  sorts — 
those  carried  on  by  the  community  itself  for  the  sake  of  all 
the  members  of  the  community,  like  a  community  chorus 
or  a^  block  party,  and  those  carried  on  by  certain  groups 
within  the  community  for  those  to  whom  they  make  a 
specially  strong  appeal,  like  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  or  church  enterprises. 

They  may  be  further  characterized  in  this  way:  some 
of  them  are  organized  for  a  special  financial  or  philan- 
thropic purpose,  like  the  support  of  the  Eed  Cross  or  the 
relief  of  the  starving;  some  of  them  have  a  chiefly  social 
significance,  like  a  May  party  for  the  children. 

Some  of  these  community  amusements,  now  such  only 
in  name,  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  men  who  promote 
them  for  their  own  financial  gain. 

This  leads  us  to  see  that  we  cannot  form  a  sweeping 
judgment  as  to  the  value  of  community  amusements  any 
more  than  we  can  form  such  a  judgment  as  to  public 
eating  places.  Each  amusement  so  undertaken  and  con- 
ducted must  be  judged  on  its  own  merits. 

In  one  community  a  chorus  has  been  conducted  for  sev- 


58  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

eral  years.  It  has  passed  through  the  experimental  stage 
and  now  seems  to  be  a  settled  feature  of  the  common  life. 
The  advantages  to  the  entire  community  have  been  very 
great.  An  interest  in  good  music  has  been  cultivated, 
some  of  the  great  musical  productions  have  been  given, 
important  events  in  the  life  of  the  community  have  been 
celebrated  in  song  and  festival.  Apart  from  community 
interest  and  action  these  results  never  could  have  been 
reached. 

3.  Motion  pictures. — If  we  regard  the  motion-picture 
theater  as  a  form  of  community  amusement,  not  because 
it  is  conducted  by  the  community  for  the  community,  but 
because  all  the  people — old,  middle-aged,  and  young — re- 
sort to  it  and  are  interested  in  it,  then  we  introduce  a  very 
large  question  into  our  discussion. 

In  every  community  you  will  find  some  who  are  sure 
that  the  motion-picture  theater  has  been  of  great  value  to 
the  community.  Others  will  record  an  opposite  judgment. 
When  persons  of  right  purpose  and  sound  mind  differ,  what 
is  one  who  wants  to  know  to  do  ?  Let  him  carefully  think 
out  what  the  community  ought  to  be.  He  will  have  to  turn 
to  the  teaching  of  Jesus  if  he  wants  to  form  a  mental 
picture  of  community  life  which  does  not  leave  out  the 
ideal  values.  He  will  think  of  persons  first,  and  then  he 
will  think  of  conditions.  The  community  is  to  be  Chris- 
tian. The  persons  who  live  in  it  are  to  be  Christian,  the 
conditions  of  living  are  to  be  Christian.  Such  qualities  as 
love,  righteousness,  justice,  will  take  precedence  of  all 
others.  Now,  what  about  your  amusement?  Does  it  in- 
crease these  or  decrease  them?  Does  it  help  men  and 
women  to  embody  them  or  make  it  more  difficult?  What 
about  home  and  school  life  ?  What  about  other  community 
interests  ?  Are  these  made  more  nearly  what  they  ought  to 
be,  or  do  influences  go  forth  from  the  amusements  the 
community  permits  which  have  to  be  met  and  counteracted 
before  Christian  standards  of  life  can  be  set  up  ? 

The  consensus  of  opinion  in  a  group  of  Christian  per- 
sons of  breadth  of  view  and  judgment  would  be  very 
likely  to  be  right  upon  this  question  in  a  given  case  and 
community;  yet  in  the  face  of  such  opinion  the  Christ- 


PUBLIC  AMUSEMENT  59 

informed  conscience  of  the  individual  has  its  rights,  which 
must  not  be  denied.  But  in  all  cases  the  legitimate  needs 
and  interests  of  the  community  come  before  the  opinions 
or  even  the  convictions  of  any  one  individual.  The  Christ- 
informed  mind  and  conscience,  if  dominant  in  a  com- 
munity, may  be  safely  trusted  to  settle  the  question  of  the 
value  of  community  amusements — to  prohibit  those  which 
devitalize,  to  encourage  those  which  build  up. 

Dangers  of  Community  Amusements 

1.  **Spectatoritis." — The  dangers  are  easily  pointed  out 
but  not  so  easily  corrected.  There  is  the  danger  that  we 
shall  come  to  have  in  all  our  communities  a  group  of  those 
who  never  take  part  themselves  in  any  form  of  recreational 
life.  "Spectatoritis,"  as  it  has  been  called,  is  a  menace 
to  the  physical  and  mental  well-being  of  many. 

It  is  so  easy  to-day  to  buy  the  amusement  we  want.  Or 
if  the  community  is  engaged,  the  number  of  those  taking 
part  must  almost  always  be  restricted.  The  result  is  we 
have  two  groups — the  entertainers  and  the  entertained. 
Community  recreations  then  choke  out  individuality  and 
minister  to  artificiality,  and  the  cultivation  of  the  latter 
trait  does  not  make  for  the  fuller  life  of  the  group. 

The  play  instinct  is  not  really  satisfied  unless  the  per- 
son in  question  "does  something"  himself.  Too  many  of  our 
attempts  to  give  recreation  to  the  people  through  the  me- 
dium of  the  churches  have  this  fault  standing  against 
them.  Public  playgrounds  are  doing  much  to  train  boys 
and  girls  away  from  such  a  deadening  attitude  toward  the 
opportunities  of  recreation  offered  by  modern  life. 

2.  Commercialization. — There  is  always  the  danger  of 
commercialization.  Someone  is  ready  to  capitalize  every 
interest  we  have.  No  matter  what  the  form  of  play  or 
sport,  someone  wants  to  make  money  out  of  it.  Often  the 
offender  in  this  respect  is  the  church.  It  is  just  as  bad  for 
the  church  to  commercialize  the  amusements  of  the  people 
as  for  any  other  group  in  the  community  to  do  so. 

If  the  community  is  not  constantly  on  its  guard,  the 
most  innocent  recreations  of  the  people  are  in  danger  of 


60  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

falling  into  the  hands  of  those  who  will  exploit  them  for 
their  own  gain. 

When  we  consider  that  the  motion-picture  industry  is 
now  said  to  be  the  fourth,  if  not  the  third,  commercial  en- 
terprise in  this  country  we  see  what  a  rich  field  for  ex- 
ploitation the  amusement  interests  of  the  people  are. 

3.  A  false  perspective. — Some  of  the  most  popular 
amusements  of  the  time  are  giving  a  false  view  of  life  and 
its  values  to  those  who  patronize  them.  Life  is  not  what 
many  of  the  pictures  thrown  upon  the  screen  would  lead 
the  young  to  think  it  is.  Love  and  marriage  are  not 
shown  as  they  are  in  millions  of  instances  but  as  they  are 
among  a  comparatively  small  number  of  those  who  have 
played  fast  and  loose  with  some  of  the  most  sacred  rela- 
tionships of  life. 

A  Christian  woman  one  day  left  a  motion-picture  theater 
as  a  false  presentation  of  sacred  relationships  was  being 
given  and  protested  to  the  management.  The  showing  of 
the  film  was  immediately  stopped. 

Jesus  constantly  inculcated  the  principle  of  respect  for 
the  personality  of  others  in  his  followers.  No  one  is  com- 
mon or  unclean  in  the  sight  of  God.  Community  amuse- 
ments sometimes  lower  our  respect  for  others.  They  some- 
times take  from  us  the  keen  sense  of  what  we  owe  others 
because  of  what  they  are  or  may  be.  No  Christian  can 
afford  to  be  "amused"  by  that  which  degrades  some  other 
person,  even  though  that  person  may  not  object  to  being 
degraded.  Community  amusements  must  heighten  our 
respect  for  all  God's  children. 

A  Christian  Program 

1.  Not  ready  made. — Such  a  program  cannot  be  here 
given  in  detail.  But  one  or  two  principles  and  ideals  can 
be  indicated. 

The  reason  that  a  detailed  program  cannot  be  given  is 
that  the  program  must  grow  out  of  the  community  instead 
of  being  forced  down  upon  it.  A  church  wdll  sometimes 
make  this  mistake.  Without  trying  to  find  out  what  those 
whom  it  would  serve  are  interested  in  it  makes  its  pro- 
gram and  invites  people  to  come,  and  then  wonders  why 


PUBLIC  AMUSEMENT  61 

they  are  not  enthusiastic.  Let  the  persons  who  are  to  be 
"recreated"  make  their  own  program.  The  church  will 
help  to  guide  them  in  their  choices  and  to  give  them  op- 
portunity to  carry  them  out. 

This  was  tried  in  one  downtown  church,  from  which 
most  of  the  people  had  moved  away.  An  important  w^ork 
among  the  boys  of  the  neighborhood  was  started.  But  no 
one  went  into  the  work  with  any  preconceived  notions  as 
to  what  ought  or  ought  not  to  be  done.  The  boys  were 
to  have  their  chance.  The  leaders  soon  found  out  what 
they  wanted  to  do  and  their  program  was  set  up,  with 
the  result  that  more  than  one  thousand  of  them  became 
interested  in  various  forms  of  recreation.  The  Christian 
purpose  underlying  all  such  work  has  been  steadily  main- 
tained. 

2.  Church  cooperation. — Interchurch  action  will  in  many 
instances  keep  Christian  ideals  before  the  community  in 
its  recreative  program.  It  is  often  surprising  to  see  how 
quickly  those  who  do  not  themselves  follow  such  ideals 
will  take  up  w^ith  the  lead  if  given  by  others.  A  com- 
munity chorus  has  been  of  great  service  in  promoting  all 
that  is  best,  because  the  leaders  of  the  movement  have  high 
Christian  ideals.  A  Jewish  motion-picture  operator  was 
found  to  be  willing  to  accede  to  the  wishes  of  Christian 
people  with  regard  to  certain  practices  they  condemned. 
A  great  community  work  conducted  very  largely  among 
non-Christian  boys  exerted  a  powerful  Christian  influence 
because  of  the  active  and  aggressive  but  never  obtrusive 
Christian  idealism  of  the  leader. 

In  all  these  instances,  in  addition  to  individual  action, 
there  has  been  a  measure  of  collective  action.  Groups  of 
people  representing  different  churches  and  different 
branches  of  the  church  have  been  organized  and,  through 
their  united  interest  and  effort,  much  good  has  been  accom- 
plished. 

3.  Responsibility  of  the  church. — The  church  must  be 
the  foremost  agency  in  the  community  in  seeking  to  con- 
struct a  recreational  program  for  its  own  young  people 
and  in  providing  for  them  the  facilities  to  carry  out  the 
program. 


62  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

The  chnrch  undertakes  such  work  not  as  one  competitive 
agency  among  others  but  as  the  one  institution  of  the 
community  having  the  privilege  of  ministering  to  the 
entire  life  of  those  whom  it  serves. 

The  irrational  division  between  the  sacred  and  the 
secular  is  fading  away  as  men  increasingly  see  the  essen- 
tial sacredness  of  every  form  of  ministry  and  activity 
which  makes  life  more  nearly  what  it  ought  to  be.  The 
recreational  activity  of  the  church  will  promote  Christian 
idealism,  it  will  inculcate  Christian  truth,  it  will  train  the 
oncoming  generation  in  cooperative  activity  and  mutual 
service. 

If  the  church  ignores  the  play  instinct,  if  it  seeks  to 
devitalize  and  crush  it,  it  will  miss  one  of  its  God-given 
opportunities  to  do  a  work  for  its  young  people  in  the  most 
effective  way  in  which  lasting  impressions  for  good  and 
intelligent  training  in  Christian  character  may  be  made. 
Expensive  equipment  and  extensive  facilities  are  not  re- 
quired. A  start  may  be  made  in  any  church,  in  any  com- 
munity, and  something  worth  while  accomplished. 

Questions  for  Discussion 

1.  Is  there  a  place  for  play  in  the  "abundant  life''  of 
which  Jesus  spoke? 

2.  Which  of  the  Christian  ideals  does  public  amusement 
in  your  community  serve?  From  which  of  them  does  it 
depart  ? 

3.  Can  you  suggest  a  way  by  which  some  of  the  worst 
evils  attendant  upon  commercialized  amusement  may  be 
avoided  ? 

4.  Should  the  church  make  use  of  motion  pictures  in  its 
services?     In  its  educational  and  recreational  activities? 

5.  Is  the  modern  trend  in  amusement  away  from  or 
toward  the  development  of  "spectatoritis"  ?  Do  you  re- 
gard this  desirable  or  undesirable? 

6.  Why  has  the  church  so  often  looked  upon  what  we 
termed  "worldly  amusements"  with  disfavor? 

7.  Is  there  a  tendency  on  the  part  of  the  church  to  con- 
sider recreation  a  normal  part  of  its  service  of  the  com- 
munity ? 


CHAPTEE  VII 

THE  CHEISTIAN  AND  COMMERCIALIZED  EVIL 

For  reference  and  study :  2  Kings  23.  7 ;  Isa.  5.  1-23  • 
49.  5-7;  Hab.  2.  12-15;  Matt.  5.  13-16;  10.  1, 

COMMEECIALIZED  AMUSEMENT  AND  COMMERCIALIZED  EviL 

1.  Commercialized  recreation. — Is  there  any  opportimity 
in  your  community  for  amusement  aside  from  such  as  is 
offered  by  those  who  are  prompted  by  their  desire  to  make 
money?  There  may  be  a  public  playgi'ound  open  to  all. 
Possibly  you  discover  a  well-equipped  Young  Men's  or 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association.  Perhaps  you  are 
so  fortunate  as  to  have  in  your  community  a  church  that 
maintains  a  real  recreational  program.  But  is  it  not  the 
case  that  the  men  who  want  to  make  money  out  of  your 
desire  to  have  a  good  time  are  back  of  most  of  the  amuse- 
ment enterprises  ? 

From  the  earliest  times  men  have  seen  the  opportunity  for 
private  gain  in  serving  the  recreational  needs  and  desires 
of  the  people.  This  is  not  wholly  to  be  criticized.  Much 
money  has  been  invested,  much  time  and  labor  and  creative 
thought  given,  and  opportunities  of  amusement  have  been 
presented  to  the  people  which  would  otherwise  have  been 
impossible.  A  motion-picture  house  recently  showed  an 
educational  film  of  great  interest  and  beauty,  into  the 
making  of  which  a  very  large  sum  of  money  had  gone. 
Everyone  who  saw  the  film  was  not  only  entertained  but 
instructed.  A  view  of  some  of  the  most  important  opera- 
tions of  society  was  given  which  broadened  the  social  out- 
look of  every  spectator.  It  was  entirely  legitimate  that 
those  who  had  ventured  so  much  to  produce  the  film  should 
receive  a  financial  return. 

But  frequently  the  commercialization  of  amusements 
does  not  take  that  turn  nor  produce  that  kind  of  result. 
The  desire  to  make  money  out  of  amusement  projects  leads 

63 


64  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

men  to  exploit  the  community  in  ways  of  evil.  In  fact,  a 
large  part  of  the  evil  in  society  to  be  traced  to  the  dance 
halls,  the  amusement  parks,  and  evil  resorts  is  due  to  the 
greed  for  gain  on  the  part  of  selfish,  unsocially  minded 
men  and  women. 

2.  Love  of  money. — The  dangers  to  the  individual  and 
to  society  in  amusement,  as  soon  as  it  becomes  commer- 
cialized, are  greatly  increased.  The  sad  fact  is  that  the 
temptation  to  make  money  cannot  be  resisted  by  a  good 
many  persons  who  would  otherwise  be  unwilling  to  harm 
their  fellow  men.  Before  the  saloon  was  abolished,  a 
respected  citizen  of  a  fine  city  community  was  looked  upon 
as  a  distinct  asset  to  the  neighborhood.  His  home  life 
was  above  reproach,  his  dealings  with  his  neighbors  were 
commendable.  It  was  not  generally  known  that  he  was 
the  owner  of  a  saloon  in  another  section  of  the  city  some 
miles  from  where  he  lived.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  oppor- 
tunity of  making  money  out  of  his  evil  business,  he  prob- 
ably never  could  have  been  persuaded  to  stand  for  anything 
which  would  harm  any  person. 

In  one  of  the  finest  suburban  communities  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  homes  was  occupied  by  the  family  of  a  man 
who  made  his  money  out  of  race-track  gambling.  In 
most  respects  the  man  himself  was  a  model  citizen,  a  de- 
voted husband  and  father.  He  could  be  counted  upon  to 
support  all  the  philanthropic  enterprises  of  the  community. 
It  is  very  doubtful  whether  his  own  children  had  the  slight- 
est idea  of  the  occupation  of  their  father.  They  merely 
knew  him  to  be  a  commuter  to  the  big  city  a  few  miles 
distant.  His  love  of  a  fine  home,  a  stylish  equipage,  travel 
and  all  the  luxuries  of  life,  and  his  ability  to  gratify  his 
tastes  and  the  desires  of  his  family  with  the  money  made 
out  of  his  particular  form  of  commercialized  evil  was  too 
strong  for  him.  His  business  opportunity  blurred  what- 
ever social  and  ethical  vision  he  may  have  had. 

3.  Social  dangers. — The  dangers  to  society  from  com- 
mercialized amusement  cannot  be  estimated  unless  it  is 
remembered  that  large  combinations  of  brain  power  and 
capital  have  been  effected  for  the  exploitation  of  the  people 
in  this  respect.     During  the  days  when  the  prohibition 


COMMERCIALIZED  EVIL  65 

agitation  was  at  its  height  in  this  country  we  gained  some 
idea  of  the  enormous  resources  in  men  and  money  of  the 
liquor  interests.  Probably  nothing  was  more  effective 
in  hastening  the  determination  of  the  American  people  to 
abolisli  the  traffic  in  strong  drink  than  the  revelation  of 
the  gigantic  combinations  that  had  been  made  to  keep  the 
nation  *"wet." 

It  seems  to  be  the  case  that,  no  matter  how  low  and 
degrading  a  form  of  amusement  may  be,  there  are  men  and 
women  who  are  willing  to  provide  it  in  return  for  money. 
And  men  of  great  respectability  are  often  willing  to  permit 
themselves  to  be  bought  up  by  the  great  interests  that 
make  their  profits  out  of  the  shame  of  the  people.  A 
young  lawyer  in  an  Eastern  city  suddenly  showed  marks 
of  unusual  prosperity  for  one  just  starting  out.  The  fact 
developed  that  the  liquor  interests  had  noted  his  unusual 
ability  and  had  made  him  an  offer  which  he  was  not  strong 
enough  to  resist.  With  his  brains  he  was  willing  to  make 
it  harder  for  the  people  to  rid  themselves  of  an  unspeak- 
able curse.    The  golden  bait  was  too  tempting. 

In  2  Kings  23.  7  we  have  the  suggestion  of  what  ap- 
pears to  be  about  as  ugly  an  evil  as  could  infect  society. 
Then,  as  now,  the  love  of  gain  was  the  impulse  which  led  to 
terribly  corrupting  practices. 

Outstanding  Commercialized  Evils 

1.  Its  widespread  extent. — Many  persons  lead  such  shel- 
tered lives  that  they  have  but  little  realization  of  the  organ- 
ized operations  of  profitable  evil.  If  all  hope  of  financial 
gain  could  be  taken  away  from  those  who  promote  these 
enterprises,  many  of  them  would  cease  to  exist.  It  is  often 
because  men  prefer  to  make  money  out  of  the  degradation 
of  others  rather  than  meet  the  demands  of  honest  and  pro- 
ductive toil,  with  its  smaller  and  less  certain  gains,  that 
they  follow  their  unrighteous  purposes. 

There  probably  is  not  a  community  of  any  considerable 
size  which  is  not  in  some  way  reached  by  the  enterprise 
of  commercialized  evil. 

There  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  outstanding  evil  of 


66  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

the  white-slave  traffic,  and  that  it  is  highly  organized 
is  proved  beyond  question  by  many  municipal  and  other 
investigations.  The  representative  of  a  society  existing  to 
aid  those  in  distress  in  our  larger  centers  of  population 
recently  said  that  large  numbers  of  girls  are  drawn  away 
from  their  homes  by  promises  that  seem  fair  and  tempting, 
not  at  all  realizing  the  lives  of  shame  upon  which  they  are 
setting  out. 

The  traffic  in  habit-forming  drugs  is  carried  on  under 
cover.  A  Christian  minister  was  invited  by  the  chairman 
of  a  city  committee  to  sit  with  him  one  afternoon  to  hear 
the  stories  told  by  the  victims  of  those  who  were  engaged  in 
this  nefarious  business.  The  recital  was  a  tale  of  horror 
too  pitiable  to  be  repeated. 

Sometimes,  under  the  cover  of  advertisements  that 
promise  health  and  strength  to  the  purchaser,  innocent  and 
unsuspecting  persons  are  started  upon  the  formation  of 
drug  habits  that  are  sure  to  wreck  happiness  and  life. 

Gambling  is  a  business  conducted  oftentimes  by  men  of 
conspicuous  ability.  In  some  communities  children  are 
permitted  in  the  name  of  some  worthy  philanthropy,  to  sell 
chances  on  valuable  articles  for  a  nominal  sum.  The  hope 
of  getting  something  for  nothing  leads  many  persons 
against  their  better  conscience  to  fall  in  with  such  prac- 
tices. Surely  many  must  be  trained  by  this  sort  of  thing 
to  become  the  victims  of  those  who  on  a  large  scale  conduct 
the  gaming  business  in  our  larger  centers. 

2.  The  liquor  evil. — Until  very  recently  the  liquor  inter- 
ests would  have  stood  at  the  head  of  the  commercialized 
evils  in  this  country.  It  would  be  impossible  to  form  any 
adequate  estimate  of  the  brains  and  money  invested  in 
this  business.  The  intertwinings  of  this  snake  with  the 
banking  and  industrial  interests  of  our  cities  were  so  subtle 
that  no  one  realized  how  completely,  in  many  instances, 
they  held  us  in  their  grip.  Even  our  churches  did  not 
escape.  The  lips  of  some  prominent  church  officials  were 
sealed.  In  a  few  instances  ministers  became  the  spokes- 
men of  interests  that  secretly  they  must  have  loathed. 

The  passing  of  the  prohibitory  amendment  to  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  has  changed  all  this.    But 


COMMERCIALIZED  EVIL  67 

let  us  not  think  that  society  has  nothing  further  to  fear 
from  this  source.  A  good  deal  of  that  which  used  to  do 
business  in  the  open  has  been  driven  underground.  A  man 
generally  regarded  as  a  respectable  citizen  was  reported 
recently  to  have  boasted  of  the  fortune  that  he  had  made 
in  smuggling  contraband  liquor  into  this  country  and  dis- 
posing of  it  at  a  fabulous  sum.  One  man  could  not  carry 
out  that  sort  of  thing.  Many  others  must  have  been  parties 
to  the  crime.  A  brewer  has  recently  made  the  statement 
that  in  certain  States,  which  he  named,  the  breweries  are 
making  beer  just  as  they  have  done  for  years.  Revelations 
made  in  some  of  our  cities  since  the  enforcement  of  the 
Volstead  Act  was  undertaken  seem  to  indicate  that  an 
extensive  underground  organization  exists  to  defeat  the 
will  of  the  great  majority  of  the  people  of  this  country 
as  expressed  in  the  prohibitory  legislation. 

Complexity  of  the  Problem 

1.  Our  mixed  population. — The  mixed  character  of  our 
population  helps  to  make  this  problem  complex.  We  have 
men  and  women  from  many  different  racial  groups.  They 
have  different  moral  standards.  They  bring  with  them 
traditions  and  customs  that  often  make  it  hard  for  them 
to  adapt  themselves  to  the  land  of  their  adoption.  Many 
of  them  are  illiterate.  All  too  often  they  have  been  griev- 
ously sinned  against.  They  have  been  induced  to  come 
here  by  tempting  offers  of  financial  gain  only  that  they 
might  be  exploited  by  a  ruthless  commercialism.  They 
have  not  been  assimilated  by  our  common  life.  Frequently 
they  become  the  prey  of  the  agents  of  commercialized  evil 
and  prove  to  be  a  profitable  source  of  gain  to  those  who 
think  more  of  money  than  of  character.  In  many  instances 
the  need  of  these  unfortunate  persons  becomes  the  oppor- 
tunity of  the  evildoer. 

Let  it  be  remembered,  on  the  other  hand,  that  many  of 
the  most  outspoken  champions  of  all  that  is  best  in  our 
national  life  have  come  from  among  those  who  have  come 
from  other  lands.  Both  the  nation  and  the  church  have 
largely  failed  to  realize  the  vast  possibilities  of  highest 


€8  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

intelligence  and  moral  worth  to  be  found  among  our  for- 
eign-born citizens. 

2.  The  complicated  situation. — The  condition  reflected 
in  Christ's  parable  of  the  wheat  and  the  tares  adds  to  the 
complexity  of  the  problem.  It  is  seldom  the  case  that  the 
line  between  the  good  and  the  evil  is  so  clearly  drawn 
that  it  may  be  followed,  even  by  men  of  thoroughly  right- 
eous purpose,  without  injuring  interests  or  persons  in- 
volved. Sometimes  the  distinction  is  clean  cut,  and  there 
is  just  one  thing  to  do.  But  the  outreachings  of  the  forces 
of  organized  evil  are  so  broad,  the  intertwinings  with 
human  affairs  so  subtle,  that  frequently  the  issue  is  com- 
plicated before  the  minds  of  good  people,  and  they  are  un- 
certain as  to  just  the  course  that  their  Christian  conduct 
should  follow. 

Then,  too,  there  is  the  man  higher  up.  Sometimes  he 
is  a  prominent  citizen,  the  main  influence  of  whose  life  is 
good.  Sometimes  he  is  an  outstanding  member  of  the 
church,  known  far  and  wide  for  his  profession  of  interest 
in  the  affairs  of  the  Kingdom.  Sometimes,  in  spite  of 
great  difficulties  and  strong  temptations  to  personal  gain, 
he  is  honestly  trying  to  discharge  the  obligations  of  an  en- 
lightened conscience.  To  give  every  man  his  due  but  no 
more  than  his  due  should  be  the  aim  of  every  person  trying 
to  help  make  Christian  ideals  effective  in  modern  society. 
There  will  be  no  cringing  before  wealth,  no  fawning  upon 
power,  no  soft-soaping  of  the  guilty;  but  in  many  fields 
the  fact  that  the  v/heat  and  the  tares  are  growing  together 
will  form  an  added  complication  in  dealing  with  the 
situation. 

3.  A  divided  church. — The  sectarian  and  sometimes 
partisan  divisions  of  the  Christian  Church  must  also  be 
noted.  So  long  as  organized  evil  sees  a  divided  Chris- 
tianity it  knows  that  it  has  little  to  fear  from  the  attack 
of  Christian  forces.  Not  long  ago  when  an  attempt  was 
being  made  in  the  Legislature  of  one  of  our  States  to 
defeat  legislation  that  sought  to  curb  the  activities  of  a 
prosperous  form  of  organized  evil,  the  leader  of  the  lobby- 
ists said  to  a  Christian  minister  that  if  the  forces  of  the 
church  were  organized  as  were  the  forces  in  opposition,  it 


COMMERCIALIZED  EVIL  6^ 

would  be  possible  for  Christian  people  to  have  whatever 
they  wanted.  He  may  have  overestimated  the  power  of 
concerted  action,  but  his  opinion  is  worth  noting. 

What  the  Christian  Can  Do 

1.  As  an  individual. — The  Christian  can  wake  up  to  the 
conditions  as  they  are,  and  not  allow  himself  to  live  in  any 
sort  of  a  fool's  paradise.  Ignorance  of  social  conditions  is 
at  the  root  of  much  of  the  inactivity  of  the  individual 
Christian.  He  is  not  directly  touched  by  what  is  going 
on,  he  is  not  brought  face  to  face  with  many  of  the  worst 
forms  of  evil,  and  he  often  lulls  himself  into  the  comfort- 
able belief  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  making  progress  in 
the  earth,  that  it  is  bound  to  grow  from  more  to  more, 
and  that  he  is  excused  from  any  sharp  sense  of  personal 
responsibility. 

He  will  not  become  a  crank  or  a  faddist ;  he  will  guard 
against  the  role  of  the  special  pleader;  but  he  will  thor- 
oughly inform  himself,  first,  as  to  conditions  in  his  own 
community;  and  then,  so  far  as  he  is  able,  he  v/ill  extend 
the  scope  of  his  inquiry  that  he  may  be  better  informed  as 
to  the  fortunes  of  the  kingdom  of  God  among  men.  One 
of  the  most  intelligent  and  effective  surveys  ever  under- 
taken in  one  of  our  great  cities  was  largely  due  to  the 
interest  of  one  person  who  would  not  give  up  until  he  won 
the  support  of  others  far  less  interested  than  himself.  One 
Christian  minister  took  active  steps  toward  the  organiza- 
tion of  Christian  sentiment  in  his  own  community.  Jews 
and  Catholics  were  drawn  into  a  movement  for  better 
things.  At  least  ten  liquor  saloons  were  denied  licenses 
because  of  the  activity  of  this  group,  and  conditions  in  the 
motion-picture  theaters  were  greatly  improved. 

2.  Through  the  church. — There  should  be  a  wide-awake 
and  thoroughly  informed  committee  to  deal  with  such  mat- 
ters in  every  local  church.  This  committee  should  be  some- 
thing more  than  a  nominal  group.  It  should  hold  regular 
meetings  at  stated  intervals  and  should  carry  on  a  con- 
tinuous study  of  social  and  other  conditions  underlying  the 
activities  of  the  interests  opposed  to  the  ideals  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church. 


70  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

The  time  will  come,  if  it  has  not  already  arrived,  when 
the  local  church  will  see  that  it  is  just  as  much  its  busi- 
ness to  carry  on  an  active  campaign  against  the  forms  of 
commercialized  evil  established  and  operating  in  its  com- 
munity as  it  is  to  hold  regular  services  of  worship.  We 
have  divided  that  which  should  be  united  in  the  program 
of  the  church. 

A  special  work  should  be  done  among  the  young  people  of 
the  parish,  giving  them  every  possible  help  in  their  fight 
for  good  character.  For  their  sake  an  active  propaganda 
in  favor  of  all  that  is  good  and  wholesome  in  community 
life  should  be  continuously  supported. 

3.  Through  existing  social  agencies. — The  police  power 
of  the  community  may  usually  be  counted  upon  to  express 
the  will  of  the  community.  If  there  is  a  strong  public 
sentiment  in  favor  of  law  enforcement,  order  and  decency 
will  usually  prevail.  If  it  is  known  that  the  community 
will  not  be  satisfied  except  all  those — even  those  higher 
up — in  the  promotion  of  commercial  evil  are  detected  and 
punished,  the  machinery  will  usually  work. 

There  are  other  agencies  inside  and  outside  the  church 
which  should  have  the  generous  support  of  all  persons 
who  desire  to  see  the  reign  of  righteousness  in  the  earth. 
We  often  leave  those  who  are  conducting  this  fight  to  spend 
a  large  part  of  their  time  gathering  funds  for  the  carrying 
on  of  their  work.  We  expect  them  to  forge  their  own 
weapons  and  then  conduct  the  fight.  We  criticize  them  if 
results  are  not  immediately  forthcoming. 

The  next  few  years  will  mark  either  a  decided  moral 
advance  or  a  distinct  moral  decline  in  the  life  of  this 
nation.  If  the  prohibitory  legislation  is  to  be  flouted 
either  by  the  forces  of  organized  evil  or  by  individuals 
who  are  otherwise  law-abiding  citizens,  the  results  will  be 
far-reaching.  Eespect  for  all  law  will  be  weakened,  and 
the  number  of  those  who  think  that  law  is  made  to  be 
evaded  or  broken  when  it  conflicts  "with  their  individual 
wiU  or  wish  will  be  greatly  increased. 

4.  The  vote. — Organized  evil  fears  nothing  quite  so 
much  as  the  ballot.  So  long  as  the  promoters  of  profitable 
wickedness  know  that  the  members  of  the  political  parties 


COMMEECIALIZED  EVIL  71 

can  be  played  off  against  each  other  they  are  contented. 
Christian  citizenship  has  a  greater  claim  upon  us  than 
loyalty  to  any  political  party.  The  ballot  is  held  in  trust 
for  the  kingdom  of  God.  Righteousness  and  brotherhood 
in  the  earth  may  be  mightily  hindered  or  helped  by  the 
man  or  the  woman  in  the  voting  booth. 

Questions  for  Discussion 

1.  Against  what  evils  do  the  prophets  most  frequently 
warn  the  people? 

2.  In  the  light  of  their  warning  do  modern  conditions 
indicate  a  moral  advance  ? 

3.  In  your  judgment  has  the  desire  for  wealth  decreased 
or  increased  since  ancient  times?  How  do  you  explain 
this?  -^  ^ 

4.  Should  a  man  who  secretly — or,  for  that  matter, 
openly— follows  some  gainful  form  of  evil  but  in  other 
respects  is  a  person  of  fine  character  be  counted  a  good 
citizen? 

5.  Should  such  a  person  be  received  into  the  church  if  he 
should  desire  to  join  ?    Give  a  reason  for  your  answer. 

6.  Is  our  country  likely  to  reverse  its  action  on  the  pro- 
hibitory amendment?  What  danger  in  this  direction  is  to 
be  feared? 

7.  Can  a  divided  or  united  Christendom  the  better  meet 
the  forces  of  organized  evil  and  win  a  sweeping  victory  for 
righteousness  and  the  good  life  ? 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  CHRISTIAN  AND  THE  TREATMENT  OF 
CRIMINALS 

For  reference  and  study:  Matt.  18.  21-35;  25.  31-46; 
Luke  12.  41-48;  16.  1-13;  22.  54-62;  23.  39-43. 

Who  Are  the  Criminals? 

1.  Antisocial  attitude. — Because  a  person  breaks  a  law, 
it  does  not  follow  that  he  is  a  criminal.  There  probably 
is  not  a  person  in  society  who  at  some  time  has  not  broken 
a  law.  That  does  not  put  him  in  the  criminal  class.  When 
the  sign  at  the  entrance  to  the  bridge  forbids  a  man  to 
drive  his  car  across  at  a  rate  of  speed  faster  than  five 
miles  an  hour,  he  does  not  become  a  criminal  if  he  care- 
lessly fails  to  heed  that  ordinance.  It  would  be  better  for 
him  and  for  society  if  he  gave  a  careful  obedience  to  that 
kind  of  a  law.  For  the  criminal  starts  with  disrespect  for 
law.  To  him  law  seems  to  stand  in  the  way  of  that  to  which 
he  thinks  he  has  a  right.  It  may  be  that  he  thinks  he 
has  been  unfairly  dealt  with.  He  may  carry  a  grudge 
against  society. 

His  disregard  of  law  grows  out  of  an  antisocial  attitude 
of  mind.  The  criminal  is  a  man  who  is  out  against  society. 
He  is  first  and  all  the  time  for  himself.  His  own  con- 
duct is  a  law  unto  itself.  For  the  social  enactments, 
laws,  and  statutes  that  safeguard  the  interests  of  society 
he  has  no  respect.  He  sets  up  his  own  will  against  the 
expressed  will  of  his  fellow  men  and  follows  a  course  that 
is  destructive  of  individual  and  collective  well-being. 

2.  Social  responsibility  for  crime. — Some  criminals  seem 
to  be  born  such.  For  many  years  careful  students  have 
investigated  this  question.  They  have  reached  the  conclu- 
sion that  numbers  of  children  are  born  into  this  world 
with  a  predisposition  toward  crime.    Usually  they  are  the 

72 


THE  TREATMENT  OF  CRIMINALS  73 

children  of  fathers  and  mothers  who  are  themselves  defec- 
tive, morally,  mentally,  physically. 

But  many  more  criminals  are  made.  This  is  not  to  say 
that  the  persons  who  go  wrong  have  no  responsibility  for 
what  they  do ;  but  it  is  to  place  a  heavy  burden  of  responsi- 
bility upon  those  who  have  helped  to  make  the  conditions 
within  which  the  criminals  were  developed.  That  means 
that  all  of  us  share  this  responsibility.  For  society  has 
it  within  its  own  power  largely  to  eliminate  the  condi- 
tions that  make  it  easy  for  some  of  its  members  to  ,<^a 
wrong.  '^ 

A  notorious  section  in  a  great  city  was  cleaned  up. 
It  took  an  immense  amount  of  publicity  and  great  deter- 
mination on  the  part  of  a  group  of  citizens  to  get  the  clean- 
ing-up  process  in  motion.  The  neighborhood  had  contrib- 
uted a  large  quota  to  the  law-breaking  element  of  that 
section.    An  almost  marvelous  improvement  followed. 

3.  The  perversion  of  instinct.— A  great  deal  of  the 
wrongdoing  that  finally  lands  men  and  women  in  the 
criminal  class  is  due  to  the  perversion  of  instincts  and  de- 
sires that  are  themselves  right.  The  perversion  of  the  pos- 
sessive instinct  may  make  a  man  a  thief.  Perversion  of 
some  of  the  noblest  social  instincts  leads  to  some  of  the 
most  repulsive  wrongdoing.  Even  the  desire  for  an  unre- 
strained "good  time"  may  start  a  gang  of  city  boys  on  the 
road  that  leads  toward  the  reformatory  and  the  prison. 

A  bright  boy  who  was  reclaimed  by  the  remedial 
agencies  of  the  church  started  on  his  wrong  course  by  the 
theft  of  apples  from  a  freight-car  standing  on  a  siding. 
That  initial  act  was  not  prompted  by  a  criminal  spirit. 
But  the  later  developments  showed  how  quickly  one  wrong 
step  may  lead  to  another. 

Poverty,  depressed  spirits  due  to  unemployment,  the 
nursing  of  real  or  imaginary  grievances  against  society, 
unrestrained  desire  for  excitement  and  a  life  of  pleasure, 
contribute  toward  the  making  of  the  criminal  in  modern 
society. 

4.  Immigrants  and  crime.— Let  it  not  be  supposed  that 
our  immigrants  furnish  an  undue  proportion  of  the  crim- 
inal group  in  our  country.    That  is  not  the  case,  as  many 


U  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

investigations  go  to  prove.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  recent 
investigation  in  a  large  city  carried  on  among  the  juvenile 
offenders  showed  that  many  of  them  came  from  American 
homes,  had  passed  through  some  of  the  grades  of  the 
public  schools,  and  in  many  instances  had  had  some  sort  of 
connection  with  religious  agencies. 

Christian  Ideals  in  the  Treatment  of  Criminals 

1.  The  Christian  attitude. — There  is  far  more  of  an 
attempt  to-day  to  apply  Christian  ideals  in  the  treatment 
of  criminals  than  ever  before.  Some  still  cry  down  as 
shallow  sentimentalism  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  men 
to  apply  the  idealism  of  Jesus  to  this  situation,  but  the 
results  of  such  attempts  are  so  fruitful  in  good  that  the 
criticism  is  largely  ineffective.  There  is  still  much  to  be 
desired,  but  in  our  most  enlightened  communities  great 
progress  has  been  made. 

In  Matt.  18.  21-35  our  Lord  in  a  striking  parable  incul- 
cates the  principle  of  mercy  in  dealing  with  those  who  are 
deserving  of  punishment.  The  king  was  minded  to  give 
his  servant  a  chance  to  meet  his  obligation. 

Again,  in  Matt.  25.  31-46  we  have  the  commendation  of 
Jesus  upon  those  who  refused  to  treat  the  prisoner  as  an 
outcast  but  went  to  him  and  ministered  to  him. 

Consider  these  and  other  passages  as  the  source  of  Chris- 
tian ideals  for  the  treatment  of  individual  and  social 
offenders. 

2.  Indeterminate  sentence  and  probation. — The  system 
of  the  indeterminate  sentence  and  the  probation  plan  seek 
to  temper  justice  w^ith  intelligent  mercy.  Under  the  for- 
mer scheme  the  offender  himself  determines  whether  he 
shall  find  his  way  back  into  society  after  a  longer  or  shorter 
stay  in  a  penal  institution.  The  chance  of  his  regaining 
his  freedom  is  a  great  incentive  to  good  behavior  and 
moral  reform. 

Under  the  plan  of  probation  sentence  is  suspended,  and 
the  offender  is  required  to  report  to  some  designated  person 
at  stated  intervals.  Frequently  the  payment  of  a  sum  of 
money  is  required.  If  there  is  evidence  of  a  desire  to  do 
right,  the  period  is  shortened;  but  if  there  is  added  evi- 


THE  TREATMENT  OF  CRIMINALS  75 

dence  of  wrongdoing,  the  ollender  is  sentenced  and  pun- 
ished. 

How  much  more  Christian  this  way  of  dealing  with  those 
who  have  done  wrong  than  such  methods  as  were  for- 
merly employed  !  This  has  largely  come  about  through  the 
pressure  of  Christian  principle  and  idealism. 

Under  the  probationary  system  a  man  who  had  done 
great  wrong  was  restored  to  his  family  and  to  an  honor- 
able place  of  employment  in  society.  The  local  church 
with  which  his  family  was  connected  was  largely  responsi- 
ble for  the  outcome.  The  youngest  members  of  that  family 
may  never  know  of  their  father's  crime.  If  he  had  been 
compelled  to  spend  a  long  term  of  years  in  prison,  how  dif- 
ferent would  have  been  the  effect  upon  himself,  his  family, 
and  upon  society ! 

A  young  woman,  now  the  wife  and  mother  of  a  family, 
was  saved  in  the  same  way.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  ap- 
plication of  Christian  principles,  she  would  to-day  un- 
doubtedly be  far  along  the  way  of  an  evil  career. 

3.  Brothering  the  boy. — The  Big  Brother  movement  is 
so  well  known  in  all  our  communities,  and  its  effects  for 
good  so  far-reaching  that  it  stands  forth  as  a  preeminent 
agency  in  the  treatment  of  juvenile  wrongdoers.  One  of 
the  chief  promoters  of  this  movement  told  the  story  of  a 
boy  whose  "big  brother"  was  a  prominent  man  in  the 
financial  operations  of  the  city  where  he  lived.  He  took 
this  boy  into  his  home,  gave  him  the  privilege  of  a  Chris- 
tian environment,  and  wrought  a  transformation  in  his 
character  such  as  even  the  man  himself  had  not  believed 
possible. 

An  attempt  has  been  made  to  organize  the  boys  of  the 
underworld  somewhat  after  the  manner  of  a  Boy  Scout  or 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  organization.  This 
work  has  gone  forward  in  the  metropolis  of  our  laud.  Many 
influential  citizens  have  become  interested  in  it.  They  are 
taking  hold  of  the  gang  spirit  and  making  a  good  use  of 
it  in  promoting  good  character  and  right  living.  Recently 
at  a  meeting  of  men  in  one  of  our  churches  two  young 
fellows,  gangsters  and  adepts  in  crime,  told  the  story  of 
their  reclamation. 


76  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

The  story  is  too  long  to  be  told  in  detail.  Juvenile 
courts,  truant  and  probation  officers,  reformatories  that 
reform,  homes  of  mercy  that  fulfill  a  Christian  mission, 
correctional  farms  and  industrial  activities,  proclaim  the 
coming  of  a  new  day  in  the  treatment  of  the  criminal 
or  the  person  who  seems  to  have  the  making  of  one.  No 
chapter  of  the  story  of  life  building  shows  a  more  deter- 
mined attempt  to  apply  Christian  ideals  to  human  rela- 
tionships. 

Wherein  Society  Falls  Shoet 

1.  Perversions  of  justice. — The  Christian  ideal  proclaims 
justice  to  all  men  irrespective  of  race,  religion,  or  condi- 
tion. While  it  is  undoubtedly  attempted  in  most  com- 
munities to  follow  this  ideal,  there  are  glaring  evidences  of 
its  denial.  There  have  been  instances  in  recent  years  in 
which  it  has  appeared  that  money  has  given  advantages  to 
those  accused  of  crime  or  those  sentenced  for  crime  which 
poor  persons  would  not  have  had.  This  is  not  to  suggest 
that  bribes  have  been  given  and  received,  or  that  the 
course  of  justice  has  been  directly  perverted  by  a  wrong 
use  of  gold;  but  if  large  means  had  not  been  possessed, 
the  system  under  which  we  live  would  not  have  given  cer- 
tain offenders  the  chance  their  money  was  able  to  procure 
for  them. 

This  condition  of  affairs  is  intolerable  in  a  Christian 
democracy  or  in  a  society  of  men  and  women  which  aspires 
to  be  that. 

We  can  hardly  claim  that  race  and  color  have  no  bearing 
upon  our  treatment  of  the  accused  and  the  criminal.  It 
is  all  too  plain  that  certain  terrible  perversions  of  justice 
have  been  permitted  in  enlightened  communities  because 
of  racial  or  other  prejudices.  The  Christian  ideal  of 
equality  of  all  men  before  the  law  is  disregarded  and  tra- 
duced in  all  such  instances. 

2.  Convict  labor. — The  treatment  of  criminals  by  some 
States  and  in  some  institutions  is  still  far  below  the  level 
of  what  a  human  being  in  a  Christian  land  has  a  right  to 
expect  from  society.  Take  the  matter  of  payment  for 
convict  labor.    A  man  commits  a  crime.    He  is  locked  up 


THE  TEEATMENT  OF  CRIMINALS  77 

in  prison  and  set  to  work.  Often  he  receives  next  to 
nothing  for  his  work  and  at  the  end  of  his  term  is  com- 
pelled to  make  a  new  start  in  life  without  any  financial 
resources.  But  the  members  of  his  family  are  the  worst 
sufferers.  If  they  are  not  so  circumstanced  as  to  be  able 
to  support  themselves,  they  become  a  public  charge.  One 
group  of  charity  workers  found  it  necessary  to  raise  large 
sums  of  money  for  the  support  of  a  dependent  family  of 
little  children.  The  father  was  an  experienced  shoe- 
maker. In  the  institution  where  he  was  confined  he  was 
doing  work  from  which  the  State  derived  a  considerable 
profit.  The  return  to  him  for  the  benefit  of  his  family  was 
a  miserable  pittance,  so  small  that  his  family  would  have 
starved  had  it  not  been  for  the  help  given.  In  the  particu- 
lar State  where  this  incident  occurred  the  condition  has 
since  been  improved. 

3.  The  released  criminal.— Perhaps  the  failure  of  society 
to  apply  Christian  ideals  to  its  treatment  of  the  criminal 
is  nowhere  so  glaring  as  after  the  release  of  the  offender. 
In  some  communities  it  is  impossible  for  a  man  who  has 
been  in  a  penal  institution  to  regain  any  standing  whatever. 
A  spirit  of  Pharisaism  controls  the  attitude  of  the  citizens 
toward  him.  It  is  not  admitted  that  a  man  may  do  wrong 
and  be  converted  from  the  error  of  his  way  and  do  right. 
The  basic  truth  of  our  Christian  religion  is  denied,  at  least 
so  far  as  any  practical  recognition  of  it  is  concerned. 

A  Christian  minister  found  it  almost  impossible  to  dis- 
cover anyone  willing  to  give  a  man  who  had  served  a  State's 
prison  term  a  chance.  Most  of  those  approached  had  very 
plausible  reasons  for  declining.  One  or  two  spoke  out 
frankly  what  was  in  the  minds  of  all  the  rest  and  said 
that  they  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  a  criminal,  that 
they  were  not  conducting  reform  schools,  and  more  of  that 
same  order.  Yet  these  were  Christian  men,  professing  to 
believe  in  the  gospel  of  the  redeemed  life  and  the  fair 
opportunity. 

Opportunities  of  Christian  Service 

1.  A  fair  trial. — We  must  remember  that  Jesus  himself 
was  a  prisoner.     He  was  charged  with  crimes  he  never 


78  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

committed  and  he  was  most  shamefully  treated.  His  own 
experience  in  many  respects  is  repeated  over  and  again  in 
the  cases  of  others.  In  nearly  every  community  there  is 
need  that  public  sentiment  should  be  aroused  in  favor  of 
giving  the  micondemned  man  every  chance  to  get  justice. 

In  our  country  a  man  is  counted  innocent  until  he  is 
proved  guilty.  The  burden  of  proof  is  always  upon  those 
who  bring  the  accusation.  No  man  is  ever  required  to 
prove  that  he  is  innocent.  Practical  conditions  and  treat- 
ment do  not  always  reflect  this  principle.  Study  the  treat- 
ment given  Jesus  and  see  whether  anything  of  a  similar 
spirit  and  nature  is  ever  evident  in  your  community. 

A  man  was  accused  of  a  serious  crime.  Before  he  was 
tried,  a  large  part  of  the  community  had  made  up  its 
mind  as  to  his  guilt.  His  trial  failed  entirely  to  sub- 
stantiate the  accusation.  But  because  of  the  prejudgment 
of  his  case  it  was  exceedingly  difficult  for  him  to  establish 
himself  in  the  community.  This  is  in  direct  contradiction 
of  Christian  principle. 

2.  Confession  and  sympathy. — Jesus  himself  had  deal- 
ings with  criminals.  He  was  crucified  between  two  male- 
factors. His  treatment  of  them  is  instructive.  Luke  23. 
39-43  gives  us  the  story.  One  of  these  men  railed  on 
Jesus;  the  other  sought  the  remembrance  of  mercy.  The 
love  of  the  Saviour  of  men  never  shone  out  more  trium- 
phantly than  in  that  experience  upon  the  cross.  If  Jesus 
had  not  had  the  heart  of  eternal  love,  it  would  have  been 
easy  for  him  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  words  of  the  wrong- 
doer. 

We  should  learn  our  lesson  from  that  incident.  If  a 
man  has  done  wrong,  and  we  know  it,  and  the  community 
knows  it,  his  condition  is  usually  pitiable  in  the  extreme. 
We  all  seem  to  forget  the  cardinal  principles  of  our  own 
religion.  In  a  certain  city  a  prominent  citizen  feared  to 
stand  for  public  office  which  he  would  have  been  eminently 
qualified  to  fill  because  he  had  good  reason  to  believe  that 
political  enemies  would  make  use  of  facts  of  wrongdoing 
in  his  early  Hfe.  The  wrong  was  committed  years  before. 
It  had  been  abundantly  atoned  for.  Many  years  of  up- 
right citizenship  did  not  serve  to  give  this  man  the  clean 


THE  TEEATMENT  OF  CRIMINALS  79 

bill  of  health  to  which  he  was  entitled.  Literature  gives 
many  examples  of  the  extreme  difficulty  with  which  wrong- 
doers have  made  their  way  to  honor  and  usefulness.  Victor 
Hugo's  picture  of  Jean  Valjean  reflects  conditions  far  from 
Christian. 

In  a  certain  influential  church  a  man  was  making  this 
uphill  fight  for  character  and  a  fair  chance.  Had  it  not 
been  for  the  determination  of  a  few  who  stood  resolutely 
back  of  him,  he  might  have  failed.  There  was  little 
warmth  of  sympathy,  little  help  from  the  majority  of  those 
who  knew  about  his  case. 

3.  Prison  reform. — One  of  the  crying  needs  of  American 
society  is  for  prison  reform.  While  great  strides  forv/ard 
have  been  made,  conditions  are  still  far  from  ideal.  In 
some  communities  they  are  a  standing  rebuke  to  organized 
Christianity.  For  some  reason  those  who  give  themselves 
to  this  work  are  often  regarded  as  open  to  a  peculiar  tvpe 
of  suspicion  and  a  virulent  criticism.  A  few  years  ago  a 
striking  attempt  was  made  to  reform  conditions  in  Sing 
Sing.  Probably  no  servant  of  his  kind  ever  called  doTO 
upon  himself  more  bitter  criticism  than  the  leader  of  that 
movement.  He  was  accused  of  every  mean  and  despicable 
thing  of  which  his  enemies  could  think.  Some  of  the 
charges  brought  against  him  would  have  made  it  appear 
that  he  was  worse  than  the  men  behind  the  bars  for  whom 
he  was  so  unselfishly  working. 

The  better  type  of  judge  is  in  favor  of  the  sort  of  reform 
work  in  prison  conditions  and  administration  which  helps 
to  accomplish  the  saving  purpose  for  which  the  law  exists. 

4.  Redemptive  punishment.— The  Christian  above  all 
others  must  stress  the  purpose  of  our  punitive  system.  He 
must  clearly  understand  this  himself  and  he  must  help 
others  to  see  it.  The  fundamental  purpose  of  punishment 
is  the  redemption  of  the  offender.  The  treatment  by  Jesus 
of  the  criminal  upon  the  cross  shows  this.  True,*^a  man 
must  be  punished  if  he  has  wronged  society.  There  is  also 
a  deterrent  eft'ect  to  be  expected  from  the  punishment  of 
crime,  although  students  of  the  situation  are  pretty  gen- 
erally agreed  that  this  effect  is  not  very  great.  But  what- 
ever secondary  effect  may  be  sought,  the  reclamation  of  the 


80  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

offender  to  a  good  life  is  the  aim  society  should  always 
have  in  mind. 

There  is  still  so  much  of  the  lust  of  revenge  in  human 
hearts  that  men  easily  lose  sight  of  this  redemptive  pur- 
pose. Punishment  for  its  own  sake  becomes  the  end 
sought.  This  is  to  pervert  justice  and  to  bring  to  nothing 
the  operations  of  the  remedial  agencies  which  at  so  great 
a  cost  society  has  established.  One  church  made  a  real 
contribution  at  this  point  by  inviting  a  judge  to  set  forth 
this  view  at  one  of  its  social  meetings.  Influences  were 
there  set  in  motion  which  helped  to  bring  about  a  series 
of  practical  reforms  in  the  practice  of  one  of  the  penal 
institutions  of  the  county. 

Questions  foe  Discussion 

1.  Should  we  be  extremely  careful  in  applying  the  term 
*^criminar'  to  any  member  of  society  ?  Is  every  wrongdoer 
a  criminal  ? 

2.  Cite  instances  in  history  of  men  being  regarded  and 
treated  as  criminals  by  one  generation  and  lauded  as 
benefactors  by  the  next? 

3.  Is  the  antisocial  spirit  confined  exclusively  to  any  one 
group  or  section  of  society? 

4.  How  may  men  sin  against  the  welfare  of  society 
without  breaking  any  law  of  the  land  ? 

5.  What  does  the  method  of  Jesus  in  his  treatment  of  a 
criminal  suggest  to  us  as  to  right  procedure  to-day  ? 

6.  Bo  you  know  of  any  way  in  which  your  own  church 
group  might  more  effectively  carry  out  the  teaching  of 
Matt.  25  regarding  the  social  offender  ? 

7.  What  has  the  church  done  to  help  create  a  truly  hu- 
mane spirit  in  dealing  with  lawbreakers?  Has  any  other 
agency  had  anything  like  the  same  amount  of  good  influ- 
ence? 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  CHRISTIANAS  POLITICAL  RESPONSIBILITY 

For  reference  and  study:  Exod.  18.  21-23;  Deut.  16. 
18-20;  17.  8-20;  Neh.  1.  1-11;  Matt.  22.  15-22;  John 
19.  8-11;  1  Pet.  2.  13-17. 

Has  the  Chkistian"  any  Business  in  Politics? 

1.  Christian  leadership. — Religious  leaders  have  always 
been  concerned  with  politics.  Moses  the  lawgiver,  Samuel 
tlie  seer,  David  the  king,  Isaiah  the  prophet,  are  the  fore- 
runners of  a  glorious  company  of  men  and  women  who 
"have  followed  in  their  train.'*  The  Christian  citizen  takes 
his  place  in  this  goodly  succession  and  finds  that  he  too  is 
responsible  for  what  nation.  State,  and  city  are  and  do. 

To  say  that  the  Christian  has  no  business  in  politics  is 
to  misconceive  the  plainest  teaching  of  Christ  concerning 
our  human  duties  and  obligations.  How  can  any  person 
"render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that  are  CsesarV  if  he 
takes  no  interest  in  political  affairs? 

The  type  of  other-worldliness  which  those  seek  to  promote 
who  attempt  to  draw  a  line  between  what  they  call  religious 
and  secular  affairs  is  strangely  foreign  to  the  mind  of 
Christ. 

Sometimes,  by  no  means  always,  the  real  reason  for  this 
insistence  that  the  Christian  shall  take  no  part  in  politics 
is  that  evildoers  fear  the  results  of  the  aroused,  intelligent 
Christian  conscience.  It  was  intimated  to  a  Christian 
citizen  that  if  he  would  cease  his  attacks  upon  certain 
vested  evils  that  had  powerful  support  in  the  political 
organization  of  his  community,  it  would  be  greatly  to  his 
advantage.  The  citizen  was  not  feared,  but  the  effect  of 
his  insistence  that  the  evil  should  be  righted  was  feared. 
The  awakened  public  conscience  is  usually  the  forerunner 
of  better  political  conditions. 

2.  Christian  influence. — It  is  because  Christians  have 
gone  into  politics  that  many  notable  gains  for  the  common 

81 


82  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

life  have  been  secured.  Oliver  Cromwell  stands  forth  as 
the  protagonist  of  freedom  and  democracy  in  government. 
He  led  his  hosts  in  their  fight  against  the  tyranny  of  kings 
and  helped  to  bring  in  a  better  day  for  England  and  for 
the  world.  His  character  and  deeds  still  live.  Greorge 
Washington  was  a  Christian  soldier  and  statesman.  Our 
own  early  history  gives  him  a  place  of  unique  importance 
in  the  winning  and  establishing  of  our  civil  rights  as  an 
independent  people. 

Your  own  community  must  furnish  you  with  the  name 
and  example  of  some  Christian  citizen  whose  political  ac- 
tivities have  had  a  most  wholesome  influence  upon  the 
common  life.  Is  it  difficult  to  believe  that  just  because  of 
the  Christian  profession  of  this  citizen  his  loyal  service 
was  largely  what  you  know  it  to  be  ? 

Within  recent  years  in  more  than  one  city  of  America 
a  Christian  mayor  has  broken  the  power  of  corrupt  political 
groups  and  established  an  order  of  political  righteousness. 

Run  your  eye  over  the  list  and  see  how  many  of  the 
Presidents  of  our  nation  have  been  men  of  clean-cut  Chris- 
tian profession. 

3.  Religion  and  citizensliip. — The  separation  between 
church  and  state  does  not  mean  a  similar  separation  be- 
tween our  duties  as  members  of  the  church  and  citizens  of 
the  state.  That  would  be  to  introduce  a  fatal  division 
into  life  itself.  The  church  as  such  must  not  enter  into 
politics  in  the  sense  of  engaging  in  any  kind  of  political 
activity.  The  state  as  such  must  not  invade  the  precincts 
of  the  church  and  attempt  to  prescribe  creed,  message,  and 
form  of  worship.  But  the  citizen  must  remember  his 
obligation  to  the  state  even  in  his  hours  of  worship,  and  the 
worshiper  must  go  forth  from  the  temple  to  engage  in  all 
his  duties  as  a  citizen,  not  shirking  or  evading  any  respon- 
sibility. Above  all,  he  will  never  use  his  religion  as  a  pre- 
tense for  failing  to  take  his  full  part  in  the  political  activi- 
ties of  his  community. 

The  Christian  View  of  the  State 

1.  Guardian  of  the  order  of  society. — The  state  is  not  an 
end  in  itself.     It  does  not  exist  for  its  own  sake.     It  is 


POLITICAL  KESPONSIBILITY  83 

because  such  views  were  taught  for  a  generation  to  the 
youth  of  Germany  that  the  World  War  became  a  certainty. 
Tlie  state  is  the  servant  of  the  people.  It  is  an  instrument 
by  which  the  people  set  up  and  maintain  the  order  of 
democracy,  which  guarantees  our  freedom  and  our  oppor- 
tunity. There  is  little  choice  between  glorifying  the  na- 
tion as  an  end  in  itself  and  deifying  a  ruler.  Both  notions 
are  rapidly  disappearing  from  the  minds  of  men.  Un- 
doubtedly the  spread  of  Christian  ideals  and  principles  is 
hastening  the  process. 

The  state  as  the  instrument  or  agency  created  by  the  citi- 
zens guards  the  order  of  society.  If  order  is  heaven's 
first  law,  it  is  also  the  first  law  of  any  government  worth 
the  name.  Society  must  be  established  in  order.  It  must 
proceed  in  order.  Its  changes  must  proceed  in  orderly 
fashion. 

By  means  of  the  army  and  navy,  policemen,  and  other 
public  servants  the  state  seeks  to  maintain  order. 

But  these  agencies  would  find  their  task  incalculably 
more  difficult  were  it  not  for  that  other  great  agenc}^  main- 
tained by  the  state — the  public  school.  Here  boys  and  girls 
are  trained  in  our  best  traditions  and  ideals,  they  are  filled 
with  the  spirit  of  an  intelligent  and  progressive  patriotism. 

In  a  democracy  such  as  ours  order  should  not  rest  pri- 
marily upon  force  but  upon  the  intelligent  devotion  of  the 
citizens  to  the  ideals  and  purposes  which  safeguard  the 
highest  interests  of  us  all. 

The  churches  contribute  greatly  toward  this  end.  But 
as  they  are  not  maintained  by  the  state  they  do  not  come 
under  our  consideration  in  this  connection. 

Is  it  possible  for  the  state  as  the  guardian  of  social  order 
to  resort  to  practices  of  compulsion  and  repression  which 
prevent  the  free  discussion  of  questions  of  public  concern  ? 
Where  should  the  line  be  drawn?  If  the  state  oversteps  its 
bounds,  is  it  really  the  guardian  of  social  order?  Consider 
how  the  ideals  of  freedom  and  order  may  be  harmonized. 
Eead  Deut.  17.  8-20  with  the  idea  of  drawing  from  it 
principles  that  inculcate  respect  for  authority. 

2.  The  agency  of  righteousness. — What  do  you  think  of 
the  action  of  those  States  which  just  now  are  seeking  to  find 


M  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

a  way  of  nullifying  the  force  of  the  Eighteenth  Amend- 
ment? If  the  state  is  the  servant  of  righteousness,  can 
such  action  be  justified?  And  if  the  state  fails  to  set 
forward  the  cause  of  righteousness  in  the  land,  what  is  the 
outlook  ? 

A  good  deal  of  old  political  machinery  has  been  scrapped 
during  recent  years  and  new  built  in  its  place.  It  is  in- 
structive to  notice  that  much  of  this  is  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  helping  the  cause  of  righteousness  forward.  Note 
the  Children's  Bureau  connected  -with  the  federal  govern- 
ment, juvenile  courts  and  commissions  in  many  of  our 
States,  reform  schools  that  really  train  for  life  and  the 
duties  of  citizenship. 

Much  recent  legislation  contributes  to  the  extension  of 
righteousness  throughout  the  land.  Laws  that  protect 
women  and  children  from  work  and  hours  that  tend  to 
lower  the  standard  and  practice  of  morality,  laws  that  pro- 
hibit gambling  and  put  out  of  business  the  type  of  pool 
room  which  fosters  gambling,  the  very  general  outlawry 
of  racetrack  gambling  and  prize  lighting, — these  are  in- 
stances. 

The  adoption  of  the  Nineteenth  Amendment  is  believed 
by  many  to  be  a  distinct  step  forward  not  only  in  political 
practice  but  in  righteousness.  The  granting  of  the  fran- 
"Chise  to  women  injects  a  new  element  into  politics.  In 
one  of  our  Eastern  States  a  drastic  law  for  the  enforcement 
of  prohibition  bears  the  name  of  one  of  the  first  women  to 
be  elected  to  the  Legislature.  The  brave,  forceful  way  in 
which  Lady  Astor  has  recently  spoken  out  against  the 
liquor  interests  in  Great  Britain  in  the  face  of  ingrained 
custom  and  immeasurable  opposition  gives  us  an  idea  of 
what  may  often  be  expected  in  days  to  come. 

In  view  of  maoy  recent  developments  it  is  interesting  to 
inquire  how  far  righteousness  may  be  promoted  by  law. 
It  is  also  of  profit  to  ask  how  far  the  state  has  taken  over 
certain  functions  in  this  matter  which  really  rest  back 
upon  such  a  moral  and  spiritual  agency  as  the  church  for 
their  potency. 

Deut.  16.  18-20  throws  an  instructive  light  upon  the 
organization  of  the  Hebrew  people  for  purposes  of  justice. 


POLITICAL  EESPONSIBILITY  85 

the  highest  form  of  righteousness,  in  the  administration  of 
law. 

3.  A  means  of  promoting  the  kingdom  of  God.— We 

must  be  careful  how  we  use  these  words  in  this  connection. 
The}^  must  not  suggest  to  our  minds  an  order  of  society 
distinct  from  the  one  we  know  as  citizens.  The  kingdom 
of  God  comes  in  nation,  State,  and  city  as  the  will  of  God 
becomes  the  law  of  life  of  the  citizens,  the  organizing 
principle  of  their  action  in  common.  The  kingdom  of  God 
comes  as  the  rule  of  righteousness  spreads. 

If  the  state  helps  an  employer  to  deal  more  justly  with 
his  employees  the  state  is  promoting  the  kingdom  of  God. 
If  the  state  makes  it  easier  for  the  manual  workers 
not  only  to  receive  what  is  their  due  but  to  con- 
tribute toward  the  general  welfare  what  society  has  a  right 
to  expect  from  them  it  is  helping  forward  the  kingdom 
of  God.  The  public  schools  may  become  and  in  many 
instances  are  agencies  to  promote  the  highest  interests  of 
the  Kingdom.  All  legislation  such  as  we  have  just  noted 
directly  contributes  toward  setting  up  such  conditions  as 
favor  rather  than  hinder  the  forward  movement  of  God's 
rule  in  human  society. 

In  recent  years  the  nation  has  made  an  immense  contri- 
bution to  the  Kingdom  in  the  work  of  reconstruction  and 
the  relief  of  misery  among  the  lands  and  people  devastated 
by  the  war.  Great  agencies  of  government  have  given  their 
aid  to  this  work.  From  the  President  to  the  least  import- 
ant official  in  our  smallest  political  division  a  personal 
interest  has  been  taken  in  this  work.  Think  of  "the  Christ- 
mas ship"  and  what  it  meant  to  the  children  whose  parents 
and  homes  had  been  killed  and  destroyed  in  the  war.  This 
was  not  an  enterprise  of  the  government  but  it  was  helped 
forward  in  many  ways  by  the  government.  The  great 
funds  that  have  been  raised  could  not  have  been  admin- 
istered as  they  were  apart  from  the  aid  of  government 
officials  and  machinery.  Every  time  the  nation  does  an}'- 
thing  that  helps  to  bring  men  more  closely  together  in 
mutual  understanding  and  helpfulness  it  contributes 
toward  the  progress  of  the  rule  of  God  in  the  earth. 

Single  out  one  or  two  instances  in  which  your  own  local 


86  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

government  has  recently  taken  some  action  which,  from 
your  Christian  viewpoint,  you  have  the  right  to  interpret 
as  promoting  the  kingdom  of  God  in  your  own  community. 
We  sometimes  think  the  churches  are  the  only  agencies  of 
society  engaged  in  such  work. 

When  the  Roman  government  threw  about  the  apostle 
Paul  its  strong  protecting  arm  (Acts  22.  22-29)  it  was 
doing  far  more  than  the  chief  captain  knew  to  advance  the 
reign  of  God  in  the  earth. 

Some  New  Factors  in  the  Political  Situation 

1.  The  independent  voter. — He  is  not  altogether  new 
but,  because  of  his  increasing  numbers,  he  has  an  altogether 
new  place  of  power.  During  the  last  Presidential  election 
the  greatest  efforts  were  made  by  the  political  parties  to 
gain  his  support.  It  was  remembered  that  a  few  years 
before  he  had  determined  the  result  of  the  election. 

This  is  a  wholesome  sign  of  the  times.  Doubtless  in  our 
country  the  party  system  is  necessary  to  the  orderly  pro- 
gress of  our  political  practice;  but  when  party  loyalty 
becomes  an  unthinking  subserviency  to  those  who  hold 
political  power  it  is  bad  for  the  free  development  of  the 
people. 

Candidates  need  to  be  considered  with  utmost  care.  The 
enforcement  of  many  of  our  best  laws  lags  because  the 
man  elected  to  office  does  not  fulfill  his  preelection  pledges. 
The  mayor  of  a  certain  city  recently  remarked  that  those 
who  had  supported  him  because  they  thought  he  would 
follow  a  certain  course  in  law  enforcement  were  about  to 
have  their  eyes  opened.  The  independent  voter  is  the 
only  person  feared  by  such  an  officeholder. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  independent  voter  has  made  it 
possible  for  many  high-minded  officials  to  fulfill  their  pre- 
election pledges.  They  know  that  a  strong  body  of  intelli- 
gent sentiment  would  back  them  against  the  machinations 
of  the  politicians. 

One  of  the  greatest  services  of  our  schools  and  colleges 
is  the  training  of  a  large  body  of  men  and  women  to  think 
independently  upon  the  important  questions  of  the  time. 

2.  Women  in  politics. — The  advent  of  women  into  poll- 


POLITICAL  RESPONSIBILITY  87 

tics  has  already  been  referred  to.  Here  is  a  large  and 
incalculable  element.  Those  who  have  supported  the  cause 
of  universal  suffrage  are  of  the  firm  belief  that  this  new 
element  in  the  political  situation  prophesies  well  for  the 
future. 

Women  are  usually  closer  to  the  needs  of  the  homes  of 
the  people  than  the  men.  Matters  that  bear  heavily  upon 
those  needs  will  be  considered  by  them.  And  when  it  is 
remembered  that  they  constitute  a  large  body  of  property 
owaiers  and  wage  earners  they  may  be  counted  upon  to  do 
their  own  thinking  upon  the  economic  questions  now  be- 
fore us.  Already  the  platforms  of  the  political  parties 
make  a  larger  place  for  human  and  social  matters  than 
formerly.  This  is  partly  due  to  the  presence  of  women 
in  their  councils. 

Are  the  girls  of  America  preparing  themselves  for  the 
larger  responsibilities  that  aAvait  them  as  citizens  with  the 
power  of  the  ballot  in  their  hands  ? 

Peinciples  That  Should  Guide  the  Cheistian  Citizen 

1.  Meet  his  obligations. — The  purely  political  activity  of 
the  average  Christian  citizen  will  not  consume  a  great  part 
of  his  time.  Unless  he  is  connected  with  the  organization 
and  administration  of  one  of  the  political  parties  or  an 
officeholder  he  will  live  most  of  his  life  in  an  atmosphere 
remote  from  purely  political  considerations.  This  very 
fact  must  put  him  on  his  guard.  He  may  easily  come  to 
think  that  his  political  duties  as  such  are  of  little  im- 
portance. The  Christian  citizen  will  not  make  this 
blunder. 

He  will  faithfully  discharge  every  obligation  to  the 
state.  In  the  use  of  his  ballot  he  will  proceed  with  care 
and  conscience.  A  man  was  heard  to  boast  of  the  fact  that 
he  had  not  voted  in  a  certain  number  of  years.  He  de- 
clared that  he  could  spend  his  time  in  a  better  way  when 
election  day  came  round.  For  him  the  day  was  one  of 
recreation.  Such  a  view  if  generally  entertained  would 
wreck  the  state. 

The  Christian  citizen  will  pay  his  taxes  without  evasion. 
One  day  in  conversation  a  professedly  Christian  man  was 


88  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

heard  to  express  the  wish  that  he  could  find  some  way  to 
evade  the  payment  of  his  taxes.  He  was  a  man  who  had 
prospered  abundantly.  The  state  had  given  him  the  se- 
curity and  freedom  within  which  he  had  achieved  his  pros- 
perity. He  seemed  to  see  no  obligation  to  the  state  in 
return.  The  costs  of  government  are  great,  and  the  right- 
minded  citizen  will  want  to  contribute  his  just  share. 

2.  Support  righteous  officials. — He  will  give  support  to 
officeholders  who  are  trying  to  do  that  which  is  right. 
There  is  a  vast  amount  of  abuse  of  public  officials  and  all 
too  little  commendation.  Christians  often  forget  how 
much  more  quickly  the  rule  of  God  would  come  among  men 
if  they  would  heartily  back  up  the  public  servants  who  are 
standing  for  right  things. 

The  men's  club  of  a  strong  city  church  invited  as  the 
guest  of  honor  a  man  who  had  just  been  elected  to  a  very 
important  office  in  the  city  government.  He  made  almost 
his  first  public  pronouncement  after  election  on  that  occa- 
sion. When  made  to  feel  that  he  could  count  upon  that 
group  for  support  he  at  once  took  a  stand  for  right  in  the 
administration  of  the  affairs  of  his  office.  On  another 
occasion  an  officeholder  bitterely  complained  because  the 
right-minded  people  who  wanted  him  to  follow  a  certain 
course  gave  him  no  tangible  support.  The  member  of  a 
State  Legislature  was  heard  to  remark  that  the  church 
people  could  have  what  they  wanted  if  only  they  would 
get  together  and  support  the  men  who  wanted  to  promote 
the  things  in  which  they  were  interested. 

3.  Engage  in  public  service. — The  Christian  citizen  will 
not  evade  any  public  service  for  which  he  may  be  drafted. 
A  group  of  business  men  spent  the  large  part  of  an  even- 
ing telling  each  other  how  impossible  it  was  for  any  one 
of  them,  for  business  reasons,  to  undertake  a  duty  greatly 
needing  to  be  performed.  They  may  have  been  as  busy 
as  they  tried  to  make  themselves  believe  they  were,  but  the 
Kingdom  goes  forward  by  the  sacrifices  of  men  who  are 
willing  to  give  time  that  might  be  spent  in  money-making 
or  social  enjoyment  to  unrewarding  service  for  the  common 
good. 

The  Christian  citizen  will  be  swayed  by  ethical  considera- 


POLITICAL  KESPONSIBILITY  89 

tions.  The  good  of  the  community  will  be  his  objective. 
That  which  hurts  the  common  life  is  bad ;  that  which  helps 
the  common  life  is  good.  This  principle  will  be  applied 
by  him  in  considering  men  and  measures. 

Questions  por  Discussion- 

1.  "Why  do  men  think  the  Christian  has  no  business 
in  politics  ? 

2.  Would  you  care  to  live  in  a  community  where  that 
view  was  general? 

3.  Why  do  so  many  persons  evade  political  issues  and 
duties  ? 

4.  Give  instances  of  the  deep  interest  taken  by  Jesus  in 
the  common  affairs  of  daily  life. 

5.  Does  a  truly  Christian  man  or  woman  have  any  chance 
in  politics  ? 

6.  Is  there  any  real  chance  of  the  growth  of  the  rule 
of  Christ  in  the  earth  apart  from  the  political  action  of 
Christian  people? 

7.  What  have  you  done  to  back  up  the  righteous  efforts 
of  faithful  public  servants? 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  CHRISTIAN  AND  WORLD  PROGRESS 

For  reference  and  study:  Isa.  2.  2-4;  42.  1-4;  49.  6; 
50.  4-9;  52.  13;  53.  12;  61.  1-3;  Matt.  13.  31-33. 

The  world  is  moving  toward  better  conditions.  Pro- 
gress is  real.  It  may  not  always  be  measured  from  year  to 
year;  but  if  the  centuries  are  considered,  progress  is  evi- 
dent. It  is  true  that  new  evils  appear.  Old  wrongs  are 
corrected  only  to  make  way  for  new  iniquities.  But  ideal- 
ism grows,  and  the  determination  to  push  forward  the 
highest  welfare  of  our  humankind  becomes  stronger  with 
the  passing  of  time. 

There  is  a  fine  vision  of  optimism  in  the  writings  of  the 
Old  Testament  prophets.  The  book  of  Isaiah  is  especially 
marked  by  this  spirit.  The  writer  believed  firmly  in  the 
triumph  of  justice,  in  the  removal  of  all  oppressions.  The 
reign  of  peace  was  to  be  established  in  the  earth  through 
the  instrumentality  of  the  Anointed  of  Jehovah.  One  of 
the  most  splendid  utterances  is  Isa.  42.  1-4. 

The  New  Testament  catches  up  this  note.  Jews  and 
Gentiles  are  to  move  forward  toward  a  world  order  in 
which  the  ideals  of  truth,  justice,  and  peace  are  to  be  ex- 
alted. The  shoot  is  to  grow  until  the  branches  of  the  tree 
offer  a  hospitable  shelter  to  the  birds  of  the  air.  The 
leaven  is  to  permeate  the  whole  mass  (Matt.  13.  31-33). 

To  question  the  reality  of  progress  is  to  take  an  attitude 
toward  affairs  which  is  non-Christian  if  not  anti-Christian. 
To  insist  that  progress  shall  move  in  the  direction  of 
Christian  goals  is  to  work  in  harmony  with  the  concep- 
tion of  the  world-wide  reign  of  God. 

Factobs  Making  fob  Wobld  Pbogeess 

1.  Commerce. — It  is  inspiring  simply  to  notice  some  of 
the  factors  working  toward  a  better  world.    Commerce  may 

90 


WORLD  PROGRESS  91 

be  mentioned.  The  buying  and  selling  of  goods  bring 
those  who  are  parties  to  the  operation  into  closer  relations 
with  each  other,  thus  tending  toward  better  understand- 
ing. Walls  of  exclusion,  whether  erected  in  the  name  of 
tariff  or  political  considerations,  should  be  built  with  ut- 
most care.  It  is  important  to  consider  not  only  what  we 
shut  in  but  what  w^e  shut  out.  If  we  cut  ourselves  off  from 
free  intercourse  with  other  peoples,  we  are  preventing  a 
powerful  factor  of  progress  from  operating  for  the  benefit 
of  mankind. 

Consider  where  the  articles  of  food  and  clothing  used  by 
you  in  a  single  day  have  come  from.  Then  think  of  the 
way  in  which  the  commerce  necessary  to  bring  those 
articles  within  your  reach  has  contributed  toward  a  better 
understanding  of  the  countries  from  which  they  have  come 
and  a  closer  sympathy  among  the  men  who  have  been 
engaged  in  that  process. 

Most  of  the  racial  hatreds  out  of  which  hurtful  mis- 
understanding and  war  have  come  may  be  traced  to  a 
lack  of  acquaintance  and  sympathy  on  the  part  of  groups 
of  people  separated  by  natural  or  artificial  barriers.  Com- 
merce helps  to  level  these  barriers.  It  promotes  an  order 
of  life  in  which  good  will  and  peace  may  more  easily 
predominate. 

2.  Industry. — This  is  so  closely  related  to  commerce  that 
it  needs  only  a  single  further  Avord.  But  when  we  remem- 
ber that  the  great  majority  of  men  and  women  in  every 
county  is  composed  of  manual  workers  we  understand 
how  powerful  is  any  activity  or  interest  that  helps  to 
draw  them  more  closely  together.  Industry  in  all  lands 
and  among  all  peoples  leads  men  and  women  the  world 
over  to  see  that  their  aims  and  interests  lie  along  the  way 
of  mutual  understanding  and  cooperation.  Industry  helps 
the  workers  of  England  to  understand  the  manual  workers 
of  America,  and  the  workers  of  America  to  realize  that 
there  are  strong  ties  binding  them  to  the  workers  of  France. 

Anything  that  promotes  a  sense  of  the  solidarity  of  the 
human  family  ordinarily  makes  for  human  progress. 

3.  Development  of  natural  resources. — Just  now  there 
is  a  great  struggle  for  the  possession  of  some  of  the  most 


92  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

valuable  natural  deposits  in  Europe.  On  this  side  of  the 
water  many  eyes  are  turned  toward  Mexico.  Silesia  is  a 
very  rich  held  for  the  development  of  natural  resources. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  understand  why  men  should  naturally 
struggle  for  the  possession  of  these  resources  when  we  con- 
sider how  much  the  upkeep  of  our  civilization  is  dependent 
on  them.  What  would  become  of  civilization  without  the 
coal  and  iron,  the  copper,  oil,  and  gold? 

In  our  own  country  we  have  seen  great  stretches  of  bar- 
ren country  turned  into  rich  farms  and  fertile  gardens 
by  the  harnessing  of  the  natural  resources  so  freely  be- 
stowed by  God  upon  men.  Great  dams  and  waterways  have 
been  constructed.  Irrigation  schemes  of  great  magnitude 
have  been  carried  forward.  Lands  have  been  redeemed  from 
barrenness.    Human  good  has  been  greatly  increased. 

Some  of  the  great  discoveries  of  the  future  will  lie  along 
the  way  of  the  further  development  and  use  of  the  natural 
resources  of  air  and  earth.  It  seems  an  idle  dream  to 
suggest  the  harnessing  of  the  winds  and  tides  and  the  belt- 
ing of  their  mighty  energies  to  the  wheels  of  progress,  but 
scientists  and  other  practical  experimenters  are  working 
patiently  and  unceasingly,  and  great  gains  may  be  confi- 
dently predicted. 

The  discovery  of  one  oil  well  in  Texas  placed  a  great 
income  at  the  service  of  a  church.  Be  it  said  to  the  credit 
of  those  concerned,  this  unexpected  wealth  was  directed 
toward  the  progress  of  Christian  work.  Here  is  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  way  the  development  of  natural  re- 
sources contributed  to  the  Kingdom.  The  connection  is 
not  always  so  evident. 

4.  Transportation. — Think  of  the  times  of  Jesus  and  of 
the  difficulty  that  men  had  in  going  from  place  to  place. 
Even  then,  had  it  not  been  for  the  fine  roads  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  the  gospel  would  have  gone  forth  very  slowly  into 
that  comparatively  small  world.  But  to-day,  with  air- 
planes and  automobiles,  railroads  and  steamships,  how 
quickly  one  part  of  the  world  is  brought  into  connection 
with  every  other  part!  A  great  modern  newspaper  pub- 
lishes from  week  to  week  a  list  of  its  agencies.  Hardly 
an  important  section  of  the  habitable  globe  is  overlooked. 


WORLD  PROGEESS  93 

And  the  bodies  and  commerce  of  men  are  transported  al- 
most as  easily  and  quickly  as  their  ideas. 

It  cannot  be  too  often  stressed  that  men  must  know 
each  other  if  they  are  to  live  in  harmonious  relations. 
Suspicion,  mistrust,  and  even  hatred  flourish  in  the  soil  of 
ignorance.  Just  to  visit  another  section  of  your  own 
State  is  to  gain  an  enlarged  understanding  of  life.  But 
to  be  able  to  go  from  part  to  part  of  the  nation  and  the 
world  is  to  gain  many  of  the  advantages  of  contact  and 
association  which  even  a  liberal  education  in  the  schools 
could  not  import. 

If  it  is  true  that  the  automobile  has  helped  to  "depopu- 
late" some  of  the  congregations  of  our  city  churches,  it 
has  brought  new  life  and  enterprise  to  many  rural  and 
country  churches  by  making  it  possible  for  the  people  to  get 
back  and  forth  easily  and  with  little  loss  of  time. 

5.  International  politics. — For  many  months  the  mind 
of  .America  has  been  agitated  by  the  question  of  our  poli- 
tical relationship  to  the  rest  of  the  civilized  world.  This 
is  not  the  place  to  present  the  question  of  a  league  or 
association  of  nations.  But  the  very  fact  that  the  minds  of 
our  people  and  the  minds  of  the  people  of  Europe  have 
been  considering  such  a  question  proves  that  we  are  inter- 
related to-day  as  never  before  in  human  history. 

The  rise  and  fall  of  governments,  the  coming  and  going 
of  presidents  and  kings,  democracy  and  monarchy,  free 
trade  and  protection, — all  such  matters  have  become  of 
concern  not  only  to  the  country  directly  involved,  but  to  the 
world.  A  speech  in  our  Senate  may  have  as  profound  an 
effect  beyond  the  seas  as  in  our  own  country.  A  decision 
of  the  Supreme  Court  may  have  a  bearing  upon  inter- 
national questions  of  greatest  importance. 

Here  again  we  have  a  powerful  factor  of  progress  at 
work  in  the  common  life  of  the  time.  We  are  all  deeply 
affected  by  the  political  organization  under  which  we  live. 
The  disappearance  of  some  of  the  selfish  considerations 
that  have  so  often  moved  men,  such  as  "My  country  right 
or  wrong,'^  provided  there  is  enough  of  armed  force  to 
back  up  its  position,  helps  to  set  forward  the  life  of  all 
peoples. 


94  SOCIAL  EELATION SHIPS 

6,  Missionary  enterprise. — Even  according  to  the  testi- 
mony of  critics  missionary  enterprise  has  been  of  incalcu- 
lable benefit  to  the  progress  of  the  world.  An  evidence  of 
this  is  the  honors  bestowed  by  non-Christian  governments 
and  peoples  upon  faithful  and  efficient  missionaries. 

While  it  has  always  been  the  aim  of  the  missionaries  to 
proclaim  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  souls  of  men, 
that  aim  has  been  interpreted  in  the  light  of  all  that  a 
full  statement  of  the  gospel  implies.  Minds  and  bodies 
are  so  closely  knit  together  that  one  may  not  be  over- 
looked except  to  the  hurt  of  the  other. 

Think  of  a  Christian  hospital  in  a  non-Christian  land 
simply  as  a  factor  of  progress.  Think  of  a  great  Christian 
school  or  college. 

It  is  not  surprising  to  learn  that  the  age-long  customs 
of  backward  peoples  have  been  changed  overnight,  and  that 
missionaries  themselves  have  found  it  quite  impossible  to 
keep  up  with  the  demands  made  upon  them  by  the  rapidity 
of  the  growth  of  the  souls  of  the  people  to  whom  they  have 
ministered. 

In  one  Eastern  city  a  Christian  work  for  all  the  people 
of  the  neighborhood  has  proved  to  be  a  civilizing  force 
great  beyond  all  measure.  This  is  freely  recognized  by  the 
authorities,  many  of  whom  are  not  commonly  supposed 
to  be  in  sympathy  with  the  Christian  purpose  underlying 
the  work. 

7.  Science  and  education. — These  have  contributed 
greatly  to  the  progress  of  the  world.  The  story  of  the  ad- 
vance of  science  reads  like  a  fairy  tale.  While  the  develop- 
ment of  education  has  not  been  attended  by  such  striking 
results,  its  remarkable  achievements  make  an  interesting 
chapter  in  the  progress  of  humanity. 

One  practical  adaptation  of  scientific  discovery,  such  as 
the  telephone,  has  made  a  contribution  to  progress  touching 
every  field  of  human  activity.  The  dissemination  of  com- 
mon knowledge  in  the  elementary  schools  and  the  extended 
course  of  the  higher  schools  and  colleges  places  the  key  of 
the  future  in  the  hands  of  those  using  these  wonderful 
opportunities.  To  read  the  life  story  of  Booker  T.  Wash- 
ington is  to  be  impressed  with  the  inspiring  power  of  edu- 


WORLD  PROGRESS  95 

cation,  not  only  to  awaken  the  soul  of  an  individual  but 
to  exert  a  molding  influence  upon  the  soul  of  a  people. 

Progress  Christian  or  Non-Christian? 

1.  Direction  of  progress.— But  what  direction  is  pro- 
gress taking?  And  how  much  of  the  total  life  of  an  in- 
dividual and  a  people  does  it  embrace?  These  are  ines- 
capable questions.  That  progress  is  being  made  from 
decade  to  decade  in  all  the  fields  of  material  achievement 
and  mechanical  art  and  invention  no  one  can  deny.  But 
toward  what  is  it  tending  ?  That  great  scientific  and  edu- 
cational gains  have  been  made  is  plain.  But  what  about 
the  inner  life  of  the  people  ? 

A  ^  thoughtful  student  of  affairs  recently  uttered  the 
opinion  that  progress  was  all  on  the  outer  side  of  life, 
that  it  did  not  touch  the  natures  of  men.  We  may  be 
going,  and  going  faster  than  ever  before,  but  where  are 
we  going?  One  of  the  popular  songs  of  the  war  indicates 
that  the  boys  of  the  army  used  to  ask  a  similar  question. 
It  is  a  good  one  to  ask  with  regard  to  either  trifling  or 
momentous  affairs. 

There  are  at  least  two  views  of  progress  which  we  should 
have  before  our  minds.  One  of  them  emphasizes  the  im- 
portance of  material  things  to  the  comparative  neglect  of 
spiritual  considerations;  the  other  emphasizes  the  prime 
importance  of  moral  and  spiritual  values  and  places  much 
less  emphasis  upon  material  gains.  The  first  of  these  is 
non-Christian,  not  necessarily  anti-Christian ;  the  second  is 
Christian. 

2.  Purpose  and  ideals.— We  have  enumerated  a  long  list 
of  factors  contributing  to  the  progress  of  civihzation ;  but 
it  by  no  means  follows  that  this  progress  will  of  necessity 
take  the  direction  of  a  Christian  civihzation.  Commerce, 
industry,  political  relationships  are  very  real  factors  in  the 
everyday  life  of  men.  They  have  it  in  their  power  not 
only  to  increase  the  sum  of  material  good  in  the  world, 
but  to  give  humanity  a  distinct  impetus  toward  a  thor- 
oughly Christian  type  of  civilization.  Whether  or  not  they 
do  this  depends  on  the  purposes  and  the  ideals  of  the  men 


96  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

and  women  who  are  living  at  a  given  period  of  the 
worid^s  history.  If  commerce  is  concerned  solely  with 
dollars  and  goods  and  thinks  little,  if  at  all,  of  the  human 
values  involved,  it  misses  the  way  of  highest  progress.  If 
international  politics  considers  only  the  material  advan- 
tage of  one  racial  or  national  group  to  the  neglect  of  the 
other  groups  involved,  it  adds  to  the  confusion  and  diffi- 
culty of  life  for  the  citizens  of  all  countries  and  utterly 
fails  to  promote  the  rule  of  God  in  the  earth. 

We  have  been  considering  mighty  forces  holding  much 
of  good  or  evil  in  their  operation.  They  may  destroy  the 
highest  values  while  they  increase  the  lower  values.  They 
may  increase  the  wealth  in  goods  and  dollars  of  a  people 
while  they  destroy  the  souls  of  men.  Or  they  may  work 
to  elevate  the  life  of  a  people  toward  noblest  ideals  of  rela- 
tionships and  service  and  at  the  same  time  promote  their 
material  well-being. 

In  the  field  of  politics  think  of  the  course  followed  by 
our  nation  in  dealing  with  China  and  with  Cuba.  Un- 
doubtedly great  gains  for  a  civilization  destined  to  become 
more  and  more  truly  Christian  were  made.  The  Chinese 
students  educated  in  part  by  the  indemnity  money  of  the 
Boxer  rebellion  may  well  prove  to  be  the  leaven  leavening 
the  whole  mass. 

Directing  Peooress  Towaed  Cheistian  Ends 

1.  Progress  through  effort. — Many  good  people  in  the 
world  comfortably  believe  that  progress  is  necessarily  and 
naturally  Christian.  They  go  to  sleep  at  night  thinking 
that  possibly  they  may  wake  up  to  find  the  world  truly 
Christian.  Just  as  they  expect  the  natural  forces  to  carry 
the  world  through  the  procession  of  the  seasons  they  expect 
other  natural  forces  at  work  among  men  to  set  up  the  rule 
of  God  in  the  earth.  They  point  with  pride  to  our  rec- 
ords of  material  expansion  and  scientific  advance  and 
confidently  believe  that,  with  little  or  no  help  on  their 
part,  everything  will  grow  better  and  better,  until  the 
Prince  of  Peace  occupies  the  throne  of  the  world. 

The  sooner  all  such  people  are  disillusioned  the  better. 
The  solemn  warnings  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets,  their 


WORLD  PROGRESS  97 

powerful  exhortations  to  moral  effort,  need  to  be  pondered 
in  the  light  of  present-day  needs  and  opportunities.  The 
teaching  of  Jesus  concerning  man's  own  responsibility  for 
his  character  and  acts  needs  to  be  strongly  emphasized. 

The  first  duty  of  the  Christian  is  to  get  the  viewpoint 
of  the  New  Testament.  What  really  constitutes  progress  ? 
What  is  the  purpose  of  civilization?  What  are  these 
mighty  factors  which  enter  into  the  life  of  the  time  sup- 
posed to  be  doing  ?  Is  life  or  are  the  things  of  life  the  great 
objective?  Is  character  or  are  circumstances  the  aim? 
If  material  wealth  increases,  does  it  matter  what  the 
social  relations  of  individuals  and  nations  are?  To  see 
the  problem  of  progress  in  true  Christian  perspective  is 
essential.  Recently  a  man  of  large  affairs  expressed  the 
opinion  that  it  is  the  first  business  of  industry  to  produce 
material  wealth.  Another  man,  an  authority  in  the  prac- 
tical affairs  of  the  world,  has  just  given  it  as  his  opinion 
that  prosperity  and  progress  are  interlocked  with  the  moral 
and  spiritual  development  of  a  people.  Where  do  you 
stand  ? 

2.  Every  man's  task.— Every  person  in  active  life  has 
some  personal  relation  to  one  or  more  of  these  factors  of 
progress.  He  must  do  his  utmost  to  make  his  own  activity 
the  expression  of  his  own  conviction  that  ideal  values 
count  for  more  than  any  or  all  others.  He  can  himself 
put  a  little  of  the  spirit  of  true  Christian  progress  into 
the  daVs  work.  He  can  be  guided  by  Christian  considera- 
tions as  a  producer,  a  seller,  a  distributer,  a  consumer  of 
the  world's  goods. 

He  will  realize  the  power  of  cooperative  action  in  all  such 
matters.  ^  The  church  group,  the  employers'  association,  the 
labor  union,  may  be  influenced  in  the  right  direction  by 
the  action  of  just  such  persons  as  himself. 

3.  World  outlook.— The  Christian  citizen  will  cultivate 
the  world  outlook.  Provincialism  in  outlook  and  purpose  is 
not  easily  overcome.  Alien  peoples  look  like  enemies  from  a 
distance.  The  pressure  of  immediate  needs  and  problems  at 
home  obscures  our  vision  of  the  wider  relationships  of 
society.  The  breadth  of  the  purpose  and  vision  of  Jesus 
must  be  cultivated. 


98  SOCIAL  KELATIONSHIPS 

Questions  foe  Discussion" 

1.  Give  one  or  two  instances  of  progress  made  by  society 
in  recent  years. 

2.  Name  the  principal  factors  contributing  to  this  result. 

3.  If  we  have  nothing  but  individual  progress  here  and 
there,  will  the  highest  aims  of  society  ever  be  reached? 
If  not,  why  not  ? 

4.  Can  you  think  of  forces  making  for  progress  other 
than  those  named? 

5.  If  society  goes  round  and  round  in  a  circle,  can  the 
redemptive  purpose  of  Jesus  ever  be  accomplished?  State 
that  purpose. 

6.  How  can  the  forces  against  progress  be  met  and  over- 
come by  those  who  follow  the  lead  of  the  Captain  of  salva- 
tion? 

7.  Is  the  church  doing  all  that  it  should  to  bring 
separated  groups  of  people  together  ?  If  races  and  nations 
hold  apart  in  mutual  hostility,  can  we  ever  have  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  the  earth? 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE   CHEISTIAN  AND   WOELD   BROTHERHOOD 

For  reference  and  study :  Jonah,  chapters  3  and  4 ;  Matt. 
12.  46-50;  Luke  10.  25-37;  John  10.  16;  Acts  2.  5-42; 
10.  1-35. 

The  Christian  Ideal  of  World  Brotherhood 

1.  The  Great  War. — This  ideal  has  survived  the  shock 
of  the  Great  War.  Before  that  gigantic  conflict  we  were 
in  the  habit  of  thinking  and  speaking  as  if  its  realization 
were  just  around  the  corner.  But  we  had  a  rude  awaken- 
ing. We  found  the  dift'erence  between  admiring  high  prin- 
ciples and  ideals  and  "doing''  them  (see  Matt.  7.  24,  25) 
not  only  as  individuals  but  as  nations.  Perhaps  we  were 
too  complacently  devoted  to  the  arts  of  material  prosperity. 

However,  the  war  has  not  destroyed  that  ideal.  Indeed, 
a  good  many  persons  are  coming  to  believe  that  the  war 
has  cleared  the  ground  for  a  closer  approximation  to  it 
than  ever  before.  Whether  this  shall  prove  to  be  so  largely 
rests  with  Christian  people  and  those  who  without  acknowl- 
edging the  name  of  Christ  are  actuated  by  Christian  pur- 
poses. 

The  war  brought  to  light  the  fact  that  while  one  great 
nation  was  sinning  against  the  truth  of  human  brotherhood 
to  an  immeasurable  degree,  other  nations,  which  at  heart 
entertained  the  cause  of  brotherhood,  were  not  sufficiently 
active  in  its  propagation  and  support. 

2.  A  pre-Christian  missionary.— In  pre-Christian  times 
there  is  a  clear  glimpse  of  this  ideal  in  the  prophecy  of 
Jonah  (chapters  3  and  4).  Here  is  a  man  of  wide  vision 
who  sees  the  place  of  a  people  outside  the  pale  of  Israel 
in  the  purpose  of  God.  From  the  viewpoint  of  human 
brotherhood  Jonah  was  one  of  the  first  to  proclaim  the  truth 
that  later  found  so  much  fuller  statement  in  the  gospel  of 
Jesus.    Jonah  did  not  himself  maintain  the  high  ground 

99 


100  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

which  at  first  he  took.  But  it  is  remarkable  that  among 
a  people  of  such  strong  racial  prejudices  he  should  have 
been  so  much  of  a  universalist.  He  saw  that  the  mercy  of 
God  covered  others  than  those  of  his  own  race,  and  that  aa 
alien  people  might  be  well  worth  saving. 

3.  The  teaching  of  Jesus. — The  teaching  of  Jesus  con- 
stantly overleaps  all  racial  bounds  and  proclaims  a  saving 
truth  for  the  nations  of  the  earth.  In  Matt.  12.  46-50  he 
announces  a  principle  of  relationship  on  the  basis  of  the 
loyal  doing  of  God's  will.  This  obedience  draws  men  to- 
gether in  an  association  which  suggests  the  closeness  of  a 
blood  relationship.  Again,  when  he  tells  the  story  of  the 
good  Samaritan  (Luke  10.  25-37)  he  sets  aside  the  strong- 
est racial  traditions  and  views  and  holds  up  as  an  example 
to  be  imitated  a  man  from  an  alien  group  especially  un- 
pleasing  in  the  e3^es  of  the  Jew. 

Paul  in  Athens  (Acts  17.  26)  sets  forth  a  principle  of 
human  solidarity  which  must  have  been  almost  unthink- 
able to  the  cultured  pagans  whom  he  addressed.  The 
division  between  the  Jew  and  Gentile  was  no  deeper  than 
that  between  the  Greek  and  barbarian.  Paul  calmly  ig- 
nores such  a  view  and  proclaims  the  oneness  of  humanity. 

The  Basis  of  World  Beotheehood 

1.  The  Christian  basis. — This  is  to  be  found  in  the  teach- 
ing of  the  New  Testament.  Jesus  plainly  declared  from 
the  opening  of  his  public  ministry  that  he  came  into  the 
world  to  establish  and  extend  the  rule  of  God.  Men  as 
men  were  caUed  into  the  fellowship  of  this  purpose.  No 
one  was  ever  refused  on  racial  grounds,  but  Jew  and  Gen- 
tile were  freely  offered  the  gracious  opportunities  of  en- 
rollment and  service. 

Jesus  freely  recognized  the  ordinary  patriotisms  that 
bind  men  to  the  country  of  their  birth  or  adoption.  In  the 
best  sense  of  the  word  he  promoted  these.  "Eender  unto 
Caesar  the  things  that  are  Ca^sar's.^'  But  he  declared  the 
truth  that  the  kingdom  he  came  to  establish  overleaps  all 
national  barriers,  all  racial  separations,  and  unites  men 
in  a  federation  of  filial  loyalty  to  God  and  to  each  other. 


WORLD  BROTHERHOOD  lOl 

We  find  in  such  an  utterance  as  that  quoted  from  Paul 
the  clearest  sort  of  an  echo  of  the  teaching  of  the  Master. 

"^Tien  we  consider  the  life  of  the  earliest  Christian  com- 
munity we  find  that  many  persons  of  different  racial  strains 
were  actually  drawn  together  in  a  community  that  as 
closely  approximated  a  human  brotherhood  as  anything 
this  earth  has  ever  seen.  We  have  a  beautiful  picture  of 
the  practice  of  that  community  in  the  book  of  Acts  (2 
5-42).  ^  ' 

All  through  the  Christian  centuries  the  voice  of  the 
church  has  been  lifted  in  behalf  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus 
and  his  early  followers  concerning  world  brotherhood.  One 
of  the  greatest  inspirations  of  the  missionary  enterprise  has 
been  the  conviction  that  the  men  and  women  living  in  the 
unprivileged  conditions  of  non-Christian  lands  were  our 
brethren.  The  more  vividly  that  human  solidarity  has  been 
realized,  the  stronger  has  been  the  devotion  of  Christian 
people  to  this  w^orld-embracing  task. 

2.  Basis  in  nature. — Human  nature  proclaims  the  possi- 
bility, even  the  necessity,  of  world  brotherhood.  There  is  a 
basis  for  such  an  ideal  in  the  constitution  which  makes  us 
what  we  are.  It  may  be  affirmed  with  truth  that  there  is 
just  as  much  in  unregenerate  human  nature  to  make  men 
quarrel  and  fight  over  their  differences  as  there  is  to  sug- 
gest the  reconciliation  and  cooperation  of  brotherhood ;  but 
that  is  only  one  side  of  the  story.  So  far  as  we  know  races 
and  groups  have  never  been  found  which  were  incapable  of 
making  any  advance  toward  peace  and  mutual  understand- 
ing as  soon  as  ideals  were  taught  and  opportunity  was 
given.  A  striking  instance  may  be  found  in  the  history 
of  the  Pilgrims  and  their  relations  with  the  Indians.  Here 
were  humans  with  nothing  in  ancestry  and  experience  in 
common,  yet  from  the  first  the  red  man  responded  to  fair 
and  generous  treatment.  He  proved  himself  capable  of 
entering  into  mutually  helpful  relations  with  the  strange 
folk  cast  up  on  his  shores.  The  Pilgrims  never  had  any 
continued  and  serious  difficulty  with  the  Indians.  For  the 
most  part  they  were  guided  by  Christian  ideals  in  their 
dealings  with  them. 

Our  history  affords  more  recent  examples  of  those  who 


102  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

were  in  bitter  antagonism  reaching  a  new  viewpoint  of 
mutual  help  and  becoming  partners  in  the  activity  neces- 
sary to  the  fullest  development  of  life  and  society  in  the 
Union  of  the  States. 

3.  Basis  in  social  need. — The  requirements  of  human 
society  to-day  seem  to  establish  the  possibility  of  a  human 
and  world-wide  brotherhood.  It  is  a  law  of  life  and  growth 
that  a  real  need  always  meets  with  a  response.  The  needs 
of  our  physical  and  mental  natures  find  their  satisfaction 
in  the  world  of  nature  and  of  human  association.  There 
is  no  fundamental  need  of  our  natures  for  which  there  is 
no  provision  in  the  creation  within  which  our  lives  are 
set.  Well,  here  is  a  fundamental  need  of  human  society. 
Law  has  not  been  sufficient  to  hold  society  together  and 
prepare  the  way  for  its  orderly  development.  When  men 
are  driven  by  their  baser  passions,  law  goes  by  the  board, 
and  even  a  sacred  treaty  becomes  *'a  scrap  of  paper."  Force 
is  not  adequate.  Force  may  be  necessary.  It  may  play 
a  great  part  when  affairs  have  got  so  badly  tangled  that 
there  seems  to  be  no  way  of  peaceful  solution.  But  a  world 
order  built  upon  force  would  be  a  very  unstable  affair. 

The  ideals  and  principles  of  world  brotherhood  yet  re- 
main to  be  tried.  The  ideal  subdues  and  controls  the  souls 
of  men.  The  principle  guides  their  action  among  them- 
selves and  in  the  larger  groupings  of  society.  This  in  every 
instance  presupposes  the  voluntary  consent  on  the  part  of 
those  following  the  ideal  and  obeying  the  principle.  And 
there  is  enough  slumbering  idealism  in  the  hearts  of  men 
nov/,  enough  real  devotion  to  principles  of  human  under- 
standing and  cooperation  to  make  a  distinct  advance 
toward  that  better  order  of  human  society  which  indicates 
an  approach  to  the  realization  of  the  ideals  of  world  broth- 
erhood. 

The  vast  need  of  the  world  is  an  eloquent  declaration  of 
the  fact  that  brotherhood  may  be  established  in  something 
more  than  sentiment  and  name. 

Factors  Making  fob  International  Good  Will 

Anything  that  helps  us  to  see  how  much  all  the  peoples 
of  the  earth  have  in  common,  anything  that  helps  us  to 


WORLD  BROTHERHOOD  103 

understand  each  other,  may  become  a  factor  making  for  in- 
ternational good  will. 

1.  International  interests. — Many  of  the  most  important 
interests  of  the  day  are  already  organized  on  an  inter- 
national basis.  Commerce,  in  its  various  forms,  and  labor 
have  pioneered  the  way.  Sports  have  not  been  far  behind. 
International  meetings  and  meets  are  now  the  order  of  the 
day.  The  man  who  wins  signal  honors  in  his  own  country 
is  speedily  challenged  to  defend  his  title  against  a  foreign 
competitor. 

The  peace  league  among  the  churches  of  the  world,  the 
international  court  at  The  Hague,  indicate  how  far  men 
have  gone  in  their  efforts  to  promote  a  good  will  which 
shall  girdle  the  earth.  Ecumenical  conferences  and  coun- 
cils proclaim  the  solidarity  of  our  interests. 

In  this  general  connection  the  work  of  the  Student  Vol- 
unteer Movement  should  be  especially  noted.  The  colleges 
and  universities  of  the  world  have  met  in  the  lives  of  the 
finest  young  men  and  women,  w^ho,  under  the  inspiration 
of  that  movement,  have  volunteered  for  service  under  the 
all-embracing  flag  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 

2.  Interchange  of  teachers  and  students. — The  inter- 
change of  teachers  on  the  part  of  the  leading  universities  of 
America  and  Europe  promotes  international  good  will. 
Those  who  have  gone  out  from  our  own  shores  have 
worthily  represented  the  mind  and  heart  of  our  land.  They 
have  corrected  false  views  and  impressions  gained  from 
contact  with  other  citizens  who  have  been  actuated  by  very 
different  desires.  And  we  too  have  learned  to  look  differ- 
ently upon  some  of  our  relatives  beyond  the  seas  after  one 
of  their  number  has  come  among  us  to  open  up  intel- 
lectual and  spiritual  treasures.  When  recently  a  noted 
surgeon  from  Vienna  performed  a  series  of  operations  upon 
children  who  had  never  walked  and  gave  them  the  oppor- 
tunity of  entering  into  a  new  life  he  not  only  performed  a 
great  human  deed  but  he  did  much  to  help  us  see  the 
beauty  of  service  unconfined  by  narrow  bounds. 

Groups  of  students  from  the  East  have  been  trained  in 
our  schools  and  colleges,  and  students  from  our  land  have 
enjoyed  similar  opportunities  in  Europe.    Representatives 


104  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

of  such  groups  from  time  to  time  appeared  before  a  group 
of  ministers  in  our  Eastern  metropolis  for  the  purpose  of 
interpreting  to  them  the  real  ideals  of  the  peoples  from 
whom  they  were  sprung. 

3.  War  relief. — The  terrible  devastation  of  the  war  has 
called  out  a  response  in  men,  money,  and  other  gifts  un- 
paralleled in  human  history.  Fathers  and  mothers  and 
children  who  perhaps  were  unable  to  understand  the  ora- 
tory of  statesmen  perfectly  understood  the  love  and  kind- 
ness that  intervened  between  them  and  death  by  starvation 
and  exposure. 

Red  Cross  nurses  and  chaplains,  representatives  of  the 
mission  boards  of  the  various  churches,  have  sown  the  seeds 
of  mutual  understanding  and  good  will  over  a  vast  terri- 
tory. An  abundant  harvest  is  sure  to  follow.  It  may  easily 
be  the  case  that  in  some  future  time  some  one  who  gained 
his  first  true  impression  of  this  great  land  and  people 
from  such  ministry  will,  from  some  high  position  of  power 
and  influence,  shape  affairs  in  harmony  with  the  ideals 
of  world  brotherhood,  because  that  ideal  was  first  inter- 
preted to  him  in  Jesus'  own  way  of  feeding  the  hungry  and 
clothing  the  naked. 

4.  The  missionary  enterprise. — The  missionary  activity 
of  the  churches  has  been  a  tremendous  factor  in  this  field. 
That  activity  is  now,  through  our  Centenary  movement, 
taking  on  new  life.  Many  of  the  ablest  of  the  young  men 
and  women  of  our  churches  and  colleges  are  offering  them- 
selves for  some  form  of  life  service.  Think  of  the  oppor- 
timity  of  such  workers  to  promote  the  cause  of  world  peace 
and  brotherhood. 

They  are  stepping  forth  into  the  line  of  a  noble  succes- 
sion. The  war  came  not  because  the  heralds  of  the  cross 
had  been  untrue  to  their  task,  but  because  the  rest  of  the 
world  was  not  yet  ready  to  accept  the  principles  of  the 
Christ  they  proclaimed.  An  unparalleled  opportunity  now 
awaits  the  new  recruits  for  this  service.  Our  President 
is  nobly  declaring  to  the  young  men  graduated  from  the 
naval  school  at  Annapolis  that  he  hopes  they  will  never 
be  compelled  to  fire  a  gun.  This  expresses  the  desire 
of  every  person  who  believes  in  the  Christian  message  of 


WORLD  BROTHEEHOOD  105 

right  human  relationships.  What  a  chance  to  help  make 
that  desire  come  true  is  given  to  every  life  undertaking 
the  great  task  of  instructing  untutored  minds  in  the  way  of 
Christ  and  helping  to  show  more  advanced  minds  the 
workableness  of  the  plan  of  Jesus  for  the  redemption  of 
human  society! 

Possible  Individual  Contributions 

1.  The  fraternal  spirit. — The  individual  must  first  i^eek 
the  fraternal  spirit.  In  a  world  of  sharp  conflict  this  is  not 
so  easy  to  do.  We  look  off  toward  remote  conditions  and 
peoples  and  think  how  easy  it  would  be  to  establish  the  fra- 
ternal life  in  such  an  environment,  but  often  miserably  fail 
when  the  opportunity  lies  at  our  very  door.  The  fact  is 
that  large  numbers  of  persons  w^ho  praise  fraternity  and 
speak  in  glowing  terms  of  world  brotherhood  do  not  them- 
selves possess  the  fraternal  spirit. 

Every  day  we  hear  certain  members  of  our  community 
spoken  of  in  a  way  that  demeans  the  speaker  and  casts 
an  unpleasant  reflection  upon  those  referred  to.  It  is 
difficult  for  the  average  person  to  take  the  fraternal  atti- 
tude toward  persons  of  different  social  standing,  different 
color  of  skin  and  racial  lineage.  Much  of  the  bad  feeling 
that  exists  in  some  communities,  and  which  finds  some 
reflection  in  all  our  minds,  has  no  deeper  basis  than  these 
superficial  considerations.  A  man  was  recently  heard  to 
condemn  a  whole  race  because  he  had  had  an  unpleasant 
experience  with  one  single  representative.  The  pastor  of 
a  church  confessed  that  he  had  advised  a  prospective  mem- 
ber of  alien  race  to  connect  himself  elsewhere  because  of 
the  absence  of  that  fraternal  spirit  which  would  rise  above 
racial  prejudice. 

2.  Interchnrch  fraternalism. — The  individual  may  pro- 
mote the  spirit  of  brotherhood  among  the  groups  that  al- 
ready have  the  greatest  number  of  interests  in  common. 
Why  should  not  our  churches  move  into  closer  relation- 
ships? Why  should  not  Christian  organizations  and  asso- 
ciations begin  to  give  to  the  world  a  clearer  example  of 
what  brotherhood  means  and  stands  for  ?  Some  good  per- 
sons seem  to  think  that  the  reason  for  different  denomina- 


106  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

tions  is  the  promotion  of  denominational  rivalry.  We  have 
heard  of  the  man  who  when  asked  as  to  the  condition  of 
his  church  replied  that  it  was  not  very  flourishing;  but 
he  added  that  he  thanked  God  that  the  condition  of  the 
five  rival  churches  of  his  community  was  no  better.  This 
may  be  a  caricature,  but  there  is  enough  in  common 
thought  to  give  it  point. 

In  a  recent  conference  of  Christian  workers  in  one  of  the 
prominent  communities  of  the  land  the  pastors  and  lay- 
men representing  the  different  denominations  constantly 
emphasized  the  fact  that  the  individual  church  owed  some- 
thing to  the  community  which  could  not  be  paid  by  any 
measure  of  isolated  success.  That  spirit  is  increasing.  It 
indicates  that  true  fraternity  is  pervading  the  Christian 
groups,  and  that  the  beginnings  of  brotherhood  among 
such  groups  are  already  well  advanced. 

The  individual  must  connect  with  some  agency  in  his 
community  or  his  wider  environment  standing  avowedly 
for  the  purpose  of  helping  to  create  world  brotherhood. 
The  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  America 
is  such  an  agency.  This  is  not  the  only  purpose  for  which 
it  exists,  but  it  does  exert  a  great  influence  in  favor  of  such 
an  aim.  Working  alone,  no  matter  how  good  his  intentions, 
how  constant  his  effort,  he  would  accomplish  little.  Join- 
ing himself  to  a  movement  wide  in  scope  and  strong  in 
influence,  he  multiplies  the  effect  of  his  own  loyalty  to  a 
^reat  ideal. 

The  local  church  as  an  organization  should  support  such 
an  agency.  Sometimes  strong  opposition  to  such  an  align- 
ment is  to  be  met.  But  usually  to-day  the  saner  counsel 
will  prevail,  and  the  church  will  be  led  to  take  a  broader 
and  worthier  relationship  to  human  society  as  a  whole. 

3.  Economic  principles. — The  individual  must  support 
such  economic  principles  as  favor  world  brotherhood.  In 
this  field  to-day  there  is  a  great  variety  of  opinion  and  prac- 
tice. But  it  is  well  to  remember  that  society  never  goes 
back;  it  always  moves  forward.  The  real  question  before 
us  is  not  whether  we  shall  return  to  theories  and  prac- 
tices that  have  been  passed  by  in  the  development  of  society. 
The  question  is.  Among  these  contending  theories  and 


WOKLD  BROTHERHOOD  107 

practices  which  of  them  make  for  the  peace  and  prosperity 
of  the  world  according  to  the  Christian  ideal  of  things? 

Selfishness  in  any  form,  no  matter  what  may  be  its  im- 
mediate return,  is  against  the  spirit  of  true  fraternity.  It 
makes  for  the  undoing  of  the  work  of  Christ  as  the  Re- 
deemer of  men. 

4.  Broad-minded  leaders. — The  individual  must  support 
political  leaders  and  policies  broad  enough  and  far-visioned 
enough  to  envisage  world  brotherhood  as  the  end  to  be 
reached.  Much  of  our  political  thinking  is  done  for  us. 
We  have  only  a  small  part  in  directly  influencing  the  prac- 
tice and  policy  of  our  nation.  But  we  are  favored  in  that 
we  have  some  political  leaders  who  see  the  larger  goal^  of 
human  effort.  They  do  not  overlook  and  discount  matters 
of  local  and  immediate  concern.  But  they  see  beyond  these 
to  the  larger  interests  of  humanity.  They  are  worthy  of 
the  support  of  Christian  men  and  women.  There  is  a 
special  obligation  upon  the  women  of  America,  the  new 
voters,  those  about  to  be.  The  coming  generations  will 
settle  many  issues  now  very  confused  and  confusing. 
Christian  influence  never  counted  for  more,  far  and  near, 
in  the  affairs  of  the  world. 

QuESTio^^s  FOR  Discussion" 

1.  Do  men  very  generally  regard  the  teaching  of  the 
prophets  and  of  Jesus  regarding  human  fellowship  as  so 
much  poetry  incapable  of  realization?    Why? 

2.  In  your  opinion  has  the  war  advanced  or  retarded 
this  ideal? 

3.  When  personal  prejudices  are  involved  is  it  possible 
to  rise  above  them  and  practice  the  ideals  of  Jesus  ? 

4.  What  progress  has  been  made  in  our  own  country 
toward  removing  racial  antagonisms? 

5.  Name  some  factors  working  against  those  considered 
in  the  text  as  making  for  international  good  will. 

6.  How  may  the  church  exert  more  influence  than  any 
other  agency  toward  the  realization  of  this  ideal  ? 

7.  If  materialism  or  militarism  wins  out  in  the  future 
policy  and  practice  of  our  own  people,  what  is  likely  to 
happen  to  the  ideal  of  world-wide  brotherhood  ? 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  CHRISTIAN  AND  THE  EFFICIENT  CHURCH 

For  references  and  study:  Matt.  16.  13-28;  18.  5-10; 
Luke  4.  16-31;  1  Cor.  1  and  2;  Phil.  2.  12-18;  Rev.  2.  1- 
3;  22. 

What  Should  the  Chuech  Do? 

Outwardly  the  church  is  an  organization.  It  is  com- 
posed of  those  who  confess  the  Saviourhood  and  Lord- 
ship of  Christ  and  desire  to  see  his  purpose  set  forward 
in  the  world.  Whether  or  not  it  is  efficient  will  be  deter- 
mined accordingly.  The  church  is  to  do  something.  If  it 
does  it  well,  it  is  efficient;  if  poorly  or  not  at  all,  it  is 
inefficient,  and  nothing  will  make  up  for  its  fatal  lack  in 
this  respect. 

When  we  consider  the  other  organizations  and  institu- 
tions of  society  we  see  that  they  should  be  doing  some- 
thing. We  judge  them  accordingly.  If  a  school  or  college 
had  magnificent  buildings  and  fine  equipment  but  failed 
to  do  the  real  business  for  which  it  exists,  it  would  be 
counted  a  failure.  The  buildings  and  equipment  might  be 
relatively  poor,  but  tlie  school  might  be  a  great  and  lasting 
success.  A  hospital  must  minister  to  the  sick.  A  fire- 
engine  company  must  prevent  the  town  from  burning  up. 
The  church  too  has  a  job — more  important  than  that  of 
any  other  single  organization.  What  is  it?  To  answer 
that  question  correctly  as  far  as  we  go  is  now  our  aim. 

1.  Worship. — Clearly  it  is  the  business  of  the  church  to 
provide  the  facilities  of  worship  and  to  train  the  people 
in  their  use.  The  first  emphasis  falls  here.  No  matter 
how  important  some  other  part  of  the  task  of  the  church 
may  be,  this  one  will  always  come  first. 

There  must  be  a  place  in  society  where  men,  women,  and 
children  have  the  opportunity  of  approaching  and  fellow- 
shiping  with  God  as  nowhere  else.  This  they  must  do 
collectively, 

108 


THE  EFFICIENT  CHURCH  109 

We  are  always  meeting  the  man  who  tells  us  that  he 
can  worship  God  better  in  the  open  spaces,  under  glorious 
skies,  than  in  any  "house  made  with  hands/'  But  as  a 
matter  of  fact  he  seldom  does  this  thing,  whether  or  not 
we  admit  the  truth  of  his  assertion.  At  any  rate  he  misses 
the  contact  with  his  fellow  men  in  worship  which  is  one  of 
its  essential  privileges  and  requirements. 

In  Luke  4.  16-21  we  have  an  account  of  what  J'esus 
did  and  said  as  a  worshiper.  If  he  needed  the  privileges  of 
the  synagogue  for  the  development  of  his  spiritual  life 
and  the  expression  of  one  side  of  his  nature,  surely  we 
have  that  need. 

Here  is  the  first  measure  of  the  efficient  church :  Does  it 
help  tlie  persons  who  enter  it  to  worship  God — the  God 
and  Father  revealed  in  Christ? 

2.  Preaching  of  the  truth. — The  church  must  maintain 
a  preaching  ministry.  The  course  of  Jesus  just  referred 
to  is  instructive  at  this  point.  He  was  moved  to  utter  a 
message  to  his  fellow  worshipers.  And  the  church  with- 
out a  living  message  is  indeed  dead.  The  question  of  its 
efficiency  cannot  even  be  raised. 

We  may  know  as  much  as  the  preacher,  or  think  we  do, 
we  may  pride  ourselves  upon  our  knowledge  of  the  gospel 
message;  but  the  fact  is  that  we  need,  and  other  per- 
sons need,  from  time  to  time  and  after  the  lapse  of  regular 
intervals,  to  be  brought  face  to  face  with  the  claims  of  the 
Christian  gospel. 

To-day  the  church  needs  especially  to  emphasize  the 
preaching  aspect  of  its  work.  And  this  because  our  time 
greatly  needs  to  hear  the  message  of  truly  prophetic  voices. 
With  the  principles  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  the  average  per- 
son in  a  Christian  community  may  be  fairly  familiar.  But 
the  application  of  these  principles  varies  from  age  to  age. 
And  just  as  the  prophets  of  ancient  Israel  instructed  the 
people  in  the  application  of  the  principles  and  ideals  of 
their  religion  to  the  life  of  their  time,  so  do  we  need  the 
ministry  of  prophetic  voices  to  teach  us  the  application 
of  the  more  searching  principles  and  ideals  of  Jesus  to  our 
time. 

Pause  a  moment  to  think  of  one  or  two  big  modem  qnes- 


110  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

tions  that  have  come  before  the  minds  of  men  in  a  new 
way  during  the  last  five  years.  Is  it  not  the  task  of  a 
true  prophet  of  God  to  help  us  all  to  see  what  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  requires  of  us  as  we  seek  to  apply  it  to  such  ques- 
tions and  the  conditions  out  of  which  those  questions  have 
come? 

3.  Teaching. — The  church  must  teach.  In  Matt.  18, 
5-10  we  have  pointed  out  to  us  our  duty  toward  those  who 
are  immature  and  inexperienced  in  the  faith.  And  whether 
these  be  actually  children  in  years  or  children  in  develop- 
ment, the  duty  remains  the  same.  When  Jesus  gave  his 
great  commission  to  his  disciples,  they  were  told  that  they 
must  "teach.^^ 

Perhaps  we  have  somewhat  neglected  this  aspect  of  our 
task,  although  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  no  department 
of  our  church  life  has  made  greater  progress  within  the 
past  few  years. 

The  church  school  occupies  a  unique  place  in  the  present- 
day  organization  and  program  of  a  live  church.  We  are  all 
learning  that  it  is  just  as  important  to  plant  seed  truths  at 
the  right  time  in  the  soil  of  the  mind  as  to  plant  our  gar- 
dens and  fields  at  the  right  time  if  we  expect  a  harvest. 

The  demand  for  competent  leaders  in  this  field  of  church 
work  far  outruns  the  supply  to-day.  This  is  a  very  good 
sign  of  the  awakening  of  the  church  to  this  large  oppor- 
tunity. 

4.  Recreation. — This  also  must  have  its  place  in  the 
program  of  the  church.  Jesus  had  little  to  say  upon  this 
topic,  probably  because  the  conditions  of  life  did  not  give 
it  the  importance  that  it  has  to-day.  The  folk  he  addressed 
lived  in  the  open.  They  did  not  toil  for  long  hours  in 
shops  and  factories.  They  were  not  shut  up  within  the 
walls  of  great  office  buildings.  They  did  not  know  the  kill- 
ing strain  and  fatigue  of  work  as  many  living  to-day.  Life 
then  was  simpler,  its  conditions  were  not  so  exhausting. 
But  Jesus  recognized  the  place  of  recreation  when  he  called 
his  disciples  apart  into  a  place  remote  from  life's  activity, 
that  they  might  rest.  He  was  an  honored  guest  at  more 
than  one  feast. 

Our  own  church  at  its  last  General  Conference  recog- 


THE  EFFICIENT  CHURCH  111 

nized  the  importance  of  this  feature  of  our  program  by 
providing  for  a  director  of  social  and  recreational  life  in 
those  churches  desiring  such  an  arrangement.  This  is 
good.  It  insists  that  the  Christian  is  to  be  a  normal 
person  with  normal  enjoyments  and  interests.  It  means 
that  in  our  judgments  and  practice  we  must  discriminate 
between  the  good  and  the  evil.  It  acknowledges  that  use, 
and  not  abuse,  is  the  secret  of  a  Christian  program  of 
recreation. 

5.  Service. — It  is  the  business  of  the  church  to  serve. 
And  it  needs  to  be  remembered  to-day,  when  we  hear  so 
many  critical  voices  asking  whether  the  church  is  doing 
anything  in  the  world,  that  the  church  has  always  acknowl- 
edged this  part  of  its  mission.  From  the  day  that  Jesus 
called  his  hrst  disciple  into  his  fellowship,  or,  to  move  a 
little  farther  down  the  years,  from  the  day  that  the  first 
company  of  Christian  believers  organized  themselves  into 
a  fellowship  of  faith  human  service  has  been  the  order  of 
things.  When  we  say  that  the  church  has  not  done  what 
it  should,  that  it  is  not  to-day  meeting  all  its  obligations 
to  society  as  it  should,  we  must  not  overlook  all  that  has 
been  done.  The  church  has  always  been  in  the  world  as 
the  servant  of  humanity. 

One  of  the  best  things  of  the  time  is  the  growth  of  the 
vision  of  service.  Such  a  movement  as  the  Centenary 
would  have  been  impossible  if  social-mindedness  on  the 
part  of  the  people  were  not  increasing.  Such  an  offering 
of  young  life  for  the  service  of  the  Kingdom  as  we  have 
most  recently  seen  would  have  been  out  of  the  question  if 
Jesus'  ideals  of  living  for  others  had  not  taken  hold  of 
great  numbers  of  minds. 

Some  think  this  duty  of  service  may  come  to  be  over- 
emphasized. But  this  cannot  happen  if  the  other  items  in 
the  program  of  the  efficient  church  are  given  their  due 
place.    The  danger  is  still  on  the  other  sidel 

Meeting  These  Requirements 

We  may  now  have  before  us  some  idea  of  what  the  church 
must  be  and  must  be  doing  if  it  is  to  merit  the  judgment 
of  efficiency. 


112  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

1.  Application  of  the  standard. — We  must  be  careful  in 

applying  this  standard  of  measurement.  One  Sunday  af- 
ternoon, in  a  little  white  schoolhouse  hidden  away  in  the 
forest  bordering  a  great  lake,  a  group  of  four  or  five 
adults  and  perhaps  twice  as  many  children  demonstrated 
that  efficiency  is  not  merely  a  question  of  buildings,  pro- 
gram, and  staff  of  workers.  The  standard  that  we  have 
found  must  be  applied  to  churches  in  the  light  of  their 
opportunity.  A  church  of  small  numbers  and  few  facili- 
ties should  never  become  discouraged  because  it  cannot  do 
all  that  someone  writing  from  a  distance  may  suggest. 
But  a  church  with  large  opportunities  and  ample  facilities 
should  feel  a  sense  of  shame  and  shortcoming  if  it  is  mak- 
ing no  real  effort  to  organize  and  conduct  its  work  on  the 
highest  possible  level  of  productiveness. 

One  small  church  in  a  great  city  made  truly  heroic  efforts 
to  provide  its  young  people  with  the  most  meager  kind  of 
social  facilities.  At  the  same  time  a  much  stronger  church 
less  than  two  miles  distant  was  dwindling  in  membership 
and  activity  because  it  was  making  no  real  effort  to  adapt 
its  service  to  changing  conditions.  Which  of  these  churches 
was  the  more  efficient? 

2.  What  is  the  answer? — With  such  qualifications  as  we 
noted  we  should  make  a  thorough  application  of  such  a 
standard  of  efficiency  to  the  church  with  which  we  happen 
to  be  associated.  Worship  and  preaching  are  undoubtedly 
emphasized  as  they  should  be.  But  is  the  worship  worship- 
ful? And  what  constitutes  the  difference?  A  worshiper 
recently  remarked  that  in  his  church  there  was  so  much 
noise  and  confusion  that  there  was  little  to  bring  the  soul 
into  closer  fellowship  with  the  unseen  realities.  Is  the 
preaching  touched  with  the  prophetic  quality?  If  not,  is 
it  the  fault  of  the  preacher  or  the  congregation?  Some 
congregations,  under  the  plea  that  nothing  but  the  simple 
gospel  be  preached,  very  "efficiently"  stifle  any  tendency 
in  that  direction.  And  this  often  means  the  particular 
views  of  the  man  who  happens  to  make  the  demand. 

When  we  think  of  education  and  recreation  how  do  mat- 
ters stand?  To  fail  to  attempt  anything  because  every- 
thing cannot  be  done  is  to  invite  stagnation.     The  condi- 


\ 


THE  EFFICIENT  CHURCH  113 

tions  do  not  exist  in  which  something  may  not  be  done  to 
help  the  church  to  square  with  this  part  of  its  task.  The 
danger  is  that  some  very  good  people  may  not  realize  how 
important  it  is  that  the  church  to-day  should  engage  in 
such  work.  With  that  danger  out  of  the  way  progress  can 
always  be  made. 

How  many  enterprises — far-distant,  it  may  be,  or  in 
your  own  community — would  feel  a  sense  of  loss  if  your 
church  should  close  its  doors?  Service  in  the  direction 
pointed  out  to  us  by  the  official  organizations  of  the 
church  is  given.  And  this  is  as  it  should  be.  But  unless 
there  is  some  close  and  vital  contact  with  human  needs  very 
near  home,  something  is  missing  from  the  program  of  the 
truly  efficient  church.  A  philanthropic  agency  in  a  cer- 
tain city  received  an  unsolicited  check  from  one  of  the 
churches.  The  treasurer  of  the  board  telephoned  the  min- 
ister to  know  if  some  mistake  had  not  been  made.  He 
said  that  it  was  the  first  time  in  his  experience  that  any- 
thing of  the  sort  had  happened.  That  particular  church 
did  not  make  the  contribution  out  of  its  "superfluity.'' 

What  May  We  Do? 

The  only  embarrassment  in  answering  this  question  is  to 
keep  the  answer  within  bounds.  There  is  so  much  that  may 
be  done.  Some  of  us  do  not  realize  how  deeply  human 
society  needs  the  church  to-day.  We  have  the  notion  that 
organizations  have  been  duplicated  until  in  the  average 
community  there  is  no  place  for  the  church  to  take  hold. 

1.  Right  perspective. — The  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to 
get  the  right  perspective.  A  large  part  of  the  work  of  other 
organizations  would  not  be  done  at  all  if  it  were  not  for 
the  churches.  Results  in  many  instances  would  come  to 
nothing  were  it  not  for  the  continuous  ministry  of  the 
church.  One  campaign  for  a  large  sum  of  money  revealed 
the  fact  that  more  than  70  per  cent  of  the  fund  had  been 
contributed  by  church  members.  An  important  philan- 
thropy of  wide  reach  in  its  service  recently  appealed  to  the 
ministers  of  a  certain  city  to  back  it  up  as  never  before. 
The  representative  stated  that  there  were  no  other  per- 
sons in  the  community,  except  the  church  people,  who  were 


114  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

capable  of  "holding  on^'  until  the  job  was  done.  Never 
was  the  church  more  essential  to  society.  But  the  essen- 
tial church  is  the  efficient  church. 

2.  Right  attitude. — Help  to  create  the  right  attitude  in 
your  own  church  toward  the  full  program  of  an  efficient 
organization.  Oftentimes  one  or  two  tactful  leaders  can 
change  the  attitude  of  a  church  group.  A  group  of  young 
men  met  and  decided  that  they  would  present  in  writing 
to  the  official  group  of  the  church  a  statement  of  what  they 
thought  the  church  should  undertake  in  the  way  of  an 
enlarged  recreational  program.  They  indicated  how  they 
were  willing  to  cooperate.  Their  action  was  the  beginning 
of  better  things. 

Above  all  try  to  see  clearly  yourself  and  then  help  others 
to  see  that  the  church  is  not  a  narrow  sectarian  institution 
existing  for  any  narrowly  denominational  aim,  but  that  it 
is  God's  chief  agency  for  the  building  of  the  kingdom  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  earth.  Nothing  that  really  helps  to 
lift  things  just  a  little  toward  the  level  of  a  redeemed 
society  is  foreign  to  the  program  of  the  church.  Both  the 
individual  and  the  wider  society  of  which  he  is  a  part 
must  have  due  consideration  in  the  activity  of  every 
Christian  group. 

3.  Community  contacts. — Then  consider  the  community. 
Every  time  a  point  of  contact  between  the  church  and  the 
community  is  established,  there  is  just  so  much  more 
chance  of  doing  effectively  the  work  for  which  the  church 
exists.  We  have  many  such  points  of  contact  to-day,  but 
they  need  to  be  multiplied.  Changing  conditions  greatly 
affect  the  home  and  family  life  of  great  numbers.  Study 
out  ways  and  means  of  connecting  with  those  who  have 
recently  come  into  your  community. 

Link  up  with  just  as  many  agencies  of  the  right  sort  as 
possible.  Some  persons  are  afraid  to  cooperate  with  an- 
other church  in  doing  a  good  piece  of  work,  and  to  some 
others  all  social  agencies  are  anathema.  But  the  key- 
note of  the  time  is  mutual  understanding  and  cooperation. 
Many  of  our  tasks  are  so  big  that  we  cannot  undertake 
them  successfully  alone. 

Discover  some  one  definite  piece  of  Christian  work  for 


THE  EFFICIENT  CHURCH  115 

which  you  assume  a  special  responsibility.  One  group  of 
young  persons  became  really  interested  in  a  fresh-air 
home.  Before,  it  had  been  only  a  name.  In  one  year  their 
contributions  increased  many  times  over.  They  came  to 
feel  that  a  part  of  the  failure  or  success  of  that  work  was 
chargeable  to  them. 

Do  every  legitimate  thing  to  foster  cooperation  between 
the  churches.  In  some  communities  church  inefficiency 
may  be  traced  directly  to  the  competition  of  the  churches. 
That  sort  of  thing  helps  to  defeat  the  purpose  for  which 
the  church  exists.  The  denomination  that  does  most  to 
foster  the  spirit  of  mutual  respect  and  cooperation  has  the 
key  to  the  future.    The  world  is  moving  in  that  direction. 

4.  Civic  responsibility. — The  church  must  look  beyond 
its  community.  It  is  and  must  be  one  of  the  chief  agencies 
serving  the  highest  interests  of  the  State.  If  the  com- 
munity in  which  you  live  is  a  favored  one,  you  may  be 
inclined  to  forget  that  other  communities  are  less  favored. 
Because  there  is  no  immediate  problem  or  opportunity  in 
your  neighborhood  (although  this  is  seldom  if  ever  the 
case ) ,  it  does  not  follow  that  your  church  has  no  particular 
social  obligation. 

Often  the  churches  of  a  given  community  need  the  back- 
ing of  public  opinion  of  other  parts  of  the  State  to  accom- 
plish some  result  that  ultimately  benefits  all.  If  all  respon- 
sibility for  bringing  the  pressure  of  Christian  opinion  to 
bear  upon  the  Legislature  of  a  State  is  turned  over  to  the 
churches  of  the  community  within  which  the  Legislature 
happens  to  meet,  not  much  will  be  accomplished.  A  unified 
Christian  demand  will  work  wonders. 

Many  reform  and  humanitarian  movements  are  to-day 
organized  on  a  State  basis.  The  church  in  the  smallest 
community  needs  a  vision  broad  enough  to  see  its  own 
vital  relation  to  such  movements.  It  is  all  too  easy  to  shift 
heavy  responsibilities  to  those  who  seem  to  be  nearer 
to  them. 

5.  World  service. — Recent  developments  have  brought 
the  whole  world  before  our  minds.  We  realize  as  never  be- 
fore that  we  do  not  and  cannot  live  unto  ourselves.  In  wor- 
ship, in  education,  in  service,  the  church  with  the  smallest 


116  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

resources  is  really  touching  world  problems  and  helping  to 
mold  world  conditions  into  conformity  with  the  high  pur- 
pose of  the  redeeming  Christ. 

Missionary  endeavor  of  all  kinds  to-day  emphasizes  the 
fact  that  we  are  trying  to  share  our  best  with  the  least 
privileged  of  God's  children. 

Questions  for  Discussion 

1.  Is  it  right  or  wrong  to  apply  the  standard  of  "effi- 
ciency" to  such  a  spiritual  agency  as  the  church? 

2.  Do  Christian  people  very  generally  have  a  clear  idea 
of  what  the  church  ought  to  be  doing  beyond  maintaining 
its  own  services? 

3.  Name  other  essential  activities  of  the  efficient  church 
which  are  not  stressed  in  the  text. 

4.  Is  the  average  church  living  up  to  its  opportunity? 
If  not,  why  not  ? 

6.  Do  the  young  people  of  your  church  realize  how 
much  they  may  contribute  toward  the  efficiency  of  its  real 
work  ?    If  not,  how  will  you  explain  this  ? 

6.  Is  there  a  smaller  or  larger  place  than  ever  before  in 
society  for  the  church  that  is  alive  and  is  doing  the  work 
of  Christ? 

7.  How  may  some  of  the  commonest  hindrances  to  effi- 
ciency be  removed  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD  A  PEACTICAL  IDEAL 

For  reference  and  study:  Matt.  5.  1-9;  28;  13.  1-52; 
Acts  1.  6-8;  Eph.  6.  10-20. 

Jesus'  Ideal  of  the  Kingdom 

This  in  its  main  outline  is  not  hard  to  discover  if  we 
turn  to  his  teaching.  There  was  no  one  subject  upon  which 
he  had  so  much  to  say.  Directly  and  indirectly  the  King- 
dom was  his  constant  theme. 

1.  Qualities  of  character. — In  Matt.  5.  1-9  we  have  a 
list  of  the  qualities  of  character  which  make  men  fit  mem- 
bers of  this  kingdom.  Purity,  mercy,  love  of  justice  and 
peace, — these  are  outstanding.  Are  they  the  sort  of  quali- 
ties that  men  generally  are  most  eager  to  make  their  own  ? 
On  the  other  hand,  do  not  the  characters  that  impress  you 
as  strongest  and  most  serviceful  always  embody  them? 
Can  you  think  of  any  type  of  life  fit  for  citizenship  among 
men,  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  eternal  life,  if  it  does  not  in- 
clude such  qualities?  They  are  not  all  that  need  to  be 
cultivated  but  they  are  all  essential. 

In  other  places  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  we  have  a  pre- 
sentation of  other  qualities  that  the  men  and  women  of 
the  Kingdom  must  embody.  There  must  be  love  for  and 
obedience  to  the  truth,  willingness  to  sacrifice,  heart  sor- 
row for  sin  and  wrongdoing,  earnestness  in  the  endeavor 
to  make  right  the  wrongs  we  have  done,  and  an  uncom- 
promising purpose  to  follow  the  path  of  goodness.  Faith, 
hope,  love, — these  three,  with  strong  emphasis  upon  the 
greatest  of  them. 

Even  such  a  brief  glance  toward  the  ideal  of  Jesus  for 

the  characters  of  those  who  constitute  the  membership  of 

his  kingdom  must  show  us  how  broad,  strong,  and  varied 

the  Christian  type  of  life  is.    Life  ideals  as  found  in  the 

'    "  117 


118  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

message  of  Jesus  are  never  narrow  and  dwarfing,  but  just 
the  reverse. 

Self-denial,  and  even  asceticism  of  a  rational  type,  have 
their  place;  but  they  do  not  stand  in  their  own  name  and 
right.  They  are  means  to  an  end — the  bringing  of  our 
personal  powers  and  appetites  into  the  service  of  the  ideal 
Christian  character. 

Perversions  and  distortions  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus  at 
this  point  have  driven  many  away  from  his  fellowship. 
They  have  been  made  to  see  a  Christ  who  does  not  exist 
and  a  type  of  life  to  which  he  never  called  any  one.  The 
correction  for  this  sort  of  thing  is  the  closer  study  of  his 
own  words  and  life. 

3.  A  Christian  social  order. — But  this  ideal  is  concerned 
with  more  than  the  individual.  It  embraces  the  individual 
in  right  relations  with  God  and  man.  Jesus  aims  at  a 
Christian  society.  He  proclaims  the  possibility  of  an  order 
of  living  in  which  not  only  one  man  here  and  another 
there  shall  be  established  in  these  right  relations,  but  all 
men  everywhere  shall  be  thus  established.  The  rule  of  God 
shall  extend  over  the  whole  field  of  human  life  and  affairs. 
Love  is  the  law  of  this  rule. 

A  redeemed  individual  and  a  redeemed  society  suggest 
to  us  the  scope  of  the  ideal  of  Jesus  for  us  and  our  world. 

Matt.  13.  1-53  gives  us  many  a  suggestion  of  the  way 
in  which  this  ideal  of  Jesus  is  to  be  worked  out  in  human 
society.  It  is  like  the  growth  of  the  abundant  harvest  from 
the  sowing  of  the  good  seed.  The  leaven  is  to  leaven  the 
whole  lump.  The  tree  springing  from  the  tiniest  of  all 
seeds  is  to  grow  until  the  birds  of  the  heavens  find  lodg- 
ment in  its  outspreading  branches.  But  the  process  is  not 
to  go  forward  without  the  help  of  its  friends  and  the  at- 
tempt on  the  part  of  many  an  enemy  to  thwart  it. 

Jesus'  Emphasis  Upon  the  Kingdom 

1.  His  central  message. — To  see  this  for  yourself  take 
any  one  of  the  synoptic  Gospels  and  make  a  note  of  all 
that  Jesus  had  to  say  upon  this  subject.  Then  compare 
what  you  have  found  with  his  teaching  upon  any  other 
one  subject.    This  theme  is  the  center  of  his  message.    All 


A  PEACTICAL  IDEAL  119 

the  teaching  of  Jesus  proceeds  from  or  converges  upon  this 
great  matter  of  the  establishing  of  the  rule  of  God  in 
human  hearts  and  over  all  human  conditions. 

The  death  of  Jesus  upon  the  cross  has  its  highest  signifi- 
cance in  this:  it  is  for  the  sake  of  bringing  men  out  of 
their  sins  into  a  right  relation  with  God  the  Father  and 
with  each  other.  In  other  words,  Jesus  follows  his  own 
ideal  to  its  last  requirement  of  sacrifice.  He  serves  with 
his  own  life  the  divine  cause  that  brought  him  into  our 
world.    Nothing  more  could  be  done. 

2.  A  neglected  emphasis. — The  emphasis  of  Jesus  upon 
this  subject  has  not  always  been  heeded  in  the  teaching 
and  practice  of  the  church.  Had  it  been  we  should  be 
farther  on  our  way  toward  the  realization  of  the  ideal  of 
redemption.  Progress  has  been  made.  Not  least  import- 
ant is  the  fact  that  our  own  day  is  recovering  and  reexpress- 
ing  the  emphasis  of  Jesus  upon  this  subject. 

Jesus  taught  us  that  the  individual  does  not  live  for 
himself.  He  taught  us  that  the  Christian  fellowship  does 
not  exist  for  its  own  sake  nor  for  the  exclusive  joy  and 
comfort  of  those  composing  it.  The  present-day  Christian 
discipleship  is  gladly  following  Jesus  not  only  in  the  state- 
ment of  these  truths,  derived  as  they  are  from  his  own 
message,  but  in  an  attempt  to  put  them  into  practice  on 
a  scale  never  hitherto  attempted. 

What  Would  It  Mean? 

1.  The  brotherhood  of  man. — He  would  be  a  bold  person 
who  should  attempt  to  answer  the  question.  What  would 
it  mean  if  the  kingdom  of  God  were  established  in  the 
earth?  The  question  embraces  every  human  life  and  fel- 
lowship, every  human  purpose  and  activity.  It  really 
girdles  the  whole  of  human  society.  And  it  has  a  differ- 
ent meaning  for  every  part  of  humanity.  It  would  mean 
something  different  in  our  United  States  from  what  it 
would  mean  in  China,  something  different  in  our  crowded 
cities  from  what  it  would  mean  in  our  rural  districts. 
Wrong  is  not  just  the  same  the  world  over.  Righteousness 
does  not  demand  just  the  same  thing  of  men  ever3rwhere. 
Goodness,  beauty,  and  wisdom,  justice,  and  love  have  such 


120  SOCIAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

a  wealth  of  meaning  that  they  can  never  be  exactly  de- 
scribed and  measured. 

Yet  fundamentally  the  meaning  would  be  the  same  the 
world  over.  The  Prince  of  Love  would  rule  throughout  the 
world.  God  would  everywhere  be  recognized  as  the  Father 
of  mankind.  Men  would  everywhere  acknowledge  them- 
selves to  be  brothers. 

2.  Human  personality  sacred. — But,  looking  at  the  mat- 
ter more  closely,  we  can  all  see  that  certain  conditions 
would  be  established,  certain  principles  written  into  the 
common  life  and  the  social  order. 

For  one  thing  human  personality  would  everywhere  be 
regarded  as  the  most  sacred  thing  in  human  society.  All 
kinds  of  material  possessions  would  be  counted  of  lesser 
worth.  The  color  of  the  man's  skin,  the  social  position 
he  occupied,  the  size  of  his  bank  account,  would  be  mat- 
ters of  secondary  concern.  They  would  not  determine  hu- 
man relations  as  they  so  often  do  to-day. 

Human  resources  would  be  developed  and  used  with  ref- 
erence to  this  principle.  The  abundance  of  good  things 
with  which  God  has  stocked  this  world  would  be  seen  to 
exist  for  the  sake  of  making  all  our  human  relations  more 
worthy,  and  human  life  itself  more  livable  for  every  child 
of  our  race. 

It  would  not  be  necessary  if  the  Kingdom  were  here, 
but  if  it  were  necessary,  there  would  be  more  men  in  high 
station  to  speak  out,  as  the  governor  of  one  of  our  South- 
ern States  has  recently  spoken,  in  favor  of  giving  every 
man  his  chance  and  making  certain  that  justice  is  done 
in  every  human  situation. 

Think,  yourself,  of  some  of  the  changes  that  would  take 
place  in  our  industrial,  political,  and  social  order  if  the 
value  of  human  personality  as  we  see  it  in  the  ideal  of 
Jesus  should  be  made  the  principle  of  practice. 

3.  International  peace. — War  as  a  method  of  settling 
human  disputes  would  be  done  away.  When  the  President 
of  the  United  States  stands  before  the  graduating  class  at 
Annapolis  and  expresses  the  wish  that  no  man  in  that 
group  should  ever  be  called  upon  to  fire  a  gun  in  taking 
human  life,  what  is  that  but  to  express  the  hope  that  the 


A  PRACTICAL  IDEAL  121 

future  holds  a  much  fuller  realization  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  in  the  earth  than  we  have  yet  seen  ?  When  the  leading 
statesmen  of  the  foremost  nations  begin  to  express  the 
wish  that  their  representatives  should  confer  with  refer- 
ence to  the  possibility  of  decreasing  armaments  and  limit- 
ing naval  and  military  expense,  what  is  that  but  to  indicate 
that  the  time  has  come  to  ask  if  some  definite  thing  may 
not  be  done  to  push  society  along  toward  the  realization  of 
the  ideal  of  peace  and  good  will  which  we  have  in  the  mes- 
sage of  Jesus  ? 

War  has  been  necessary  in  the  past.  It  may  be  again  in 
the  future.  But  war  is  justified  only  when  the  appeal  to 
force  is  the  only  way  of  preventing  worse  evils  from 
coming  upon  humanity.  Many  who  read  these  lines  will 
be  among  those  who  gave  gallant  service  to  our  cause  in  the 
recent  World  War.  The  country  will  never  forget  its 
gratitude  to  them.  It  will  never  tire  of  telling  the  story 
of  their  heroic  service  and  suffering.  The  gold  stars  on  the 
service  flags  will  be  held  in  constant  remembrance  by 
future  generations.  But  those  who  have  been  through  the 
horrors  of  the  recent  war  are  the  first  and  foremost  to 
proclaim  the  necessity  of  finding  a  better  way  for  the 
settling  of  human  disputes,  the  adjustment  of  international 
differences. 

That  way  is  the  way  of  Jesus.  His  ideals  are  more 
powerful  than  all  the  battle  fleets  and  forces  of  the  world. 
His  principles  will  batter  down  oppositions  which  could 
withstand  the  onslaught  of  any  attacking  force. 

4.  Brotherhood  of  the  nations.— The  different  sections 
of  the  human  family  would  live  together  on  terms  of  mutual 
understanding  and  service. 

The  ideal  of  the  Eangdom  not  only  includes  the  hum- 
blest individual  who  lives;  it  also  includes  the  nations  of 
the  earth.  It  paints  before  our  minds  the  picture  of  an 
all-inclusive  kingdom  of  love  and  good  will.  But  before 
this  picture  can  become  the  pattern  of  reality  nations  must 
learn,  just  as  must  individuals  and  smaller  groups,  that 
service  and  sacrifice  are  the  secret  of  all  true  human 
growth  and  progress. 

Mexico  would  not  be  looked  at  with  covetous  eyes  because 


122  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

of  the  incalculable  wealth  stored  in  her  mountains  and 
wells.  Korea  would  not  be  considered  the  vassal  of  a  dom- 
inant power.  One  part  of  the  world  would  not  regard 
almost  every  other  part  with  suspicion  and  mistrust.  The 
only  real  competition  would  be  that  of  serving  the  ends 
of  justice  and  good  will  unto  the  very  ends  of  the  earth. 

And  progress  is  being  made.  We  are  not  altogether 
proud  of  the  way  we  have  treated  the  red  man.  If  we  had 
it  all  to  do  over  again,  no  sort  of  plea  of  material  or 
political  necessity  could  persuade  us  to  repeat  history  in 
every  detail.  We  do  not  glory  in  the  inequalities  that 
still  hamper  the  opportunities  of  the  Negro  in  most  if  not 
all  our  communities.  If  we  think  of  perpetrating  some 
act  that  offends  against  the  highest  moral  judgment,  en- 
lightened by  the  conscience  of  Christ,  we  seek  out  some 
high-sounding  explanation.  Similar  signs  among  other 
enlightened  peoples  are  not  lacking. 

Can  the  Ideal  Be  Realized? 

1.  The  answer  of  history. — The  fact  that  we  have  to  ask 
this  question  indicates  that  our  minds  are  still  far  below 
the  level  of  the  mind  of  Christ.  He  certainly  had  no  doubt 
upon  this  point.  If  he  had  he  was  a  trifler — a  supposition 
incredible.  He  did  not  give  us  a  task  which  we  cannot 
accomplish.  He  did  not  set  before  us  ideals  that  simply 
mock  us  and  convict  us  of  our  own  moral  and  spiritual 
inefficiency. 

Yet  good  men  are  still  asking  this  question.  It  is  im- 
possible to  avoid  the  idea  that  some  ask  it  to  excuse  them- 
selves for  doing  so  little  to  help  towards  the  building  of 
the  Kingdom. 

Let  history  suggest  to  us  the  line  along  which  we  must 
look  if  we  want  a  rational  answer.  You  do  not  have  to  go 
back  very  far  to  come  to  a  time  when  men  would  have  told 
you  that  it  was  impossible  to  banish  human  slavery  from 
this  land.  Some  of  the  best  and  wisest  men  who  ever  lived 
thought  and  said  that.  Even  to  attempt  the  thing  was  to 
invite  the  ruin  of  our  pohtical  and  economic  structure. 
But  suppose  a  man  of  light  and  leading  should  talk  that 
way  to-day:  what  would  be  thought  of  him?     The  aboli- 


A  PRACTICAL  IDEAL  123 

tion  of  the  liquor  traffic  and  its  grossest  attendant  evil, 
the  saloon,  is  another  illustration  of  the  progress  of  the 
Kingdom  in  the  earth.  Many  of  us  have  repeatedly  heard 
men  whose  opinions  were  worth  considering  declare  that 
this  never  could  be  done.  There  was  too  much  money  in- 
vested, political  influences  were  too  strong,  the  invasion 
of  "personal  liberty"  would  never  be  tolerated.  We  heard 
it  all  again  and  again,  but  the  traffic  has  been  outlawed. 
The  old-time  corner  saloon  has  gone.  And  although  the 
law  of  the  land  is  being  broken  every  hour  of  every  day, 
time  and  the  growth  of  right  human  sentiment  will  correct 
this.  The  young  men  and  women  in  our  church  schools 
will  see  to  it,  now  that  they  all  have  the  ballot,  that  former 
conditions  are  never  restored. 

The  extension  of  the  suffrage  makes  for  the  progress  of 
the  Kingdom.  All  fundamental  inequalities  must  go  be- 
fore the  Kingdom  can  come.  Here  too  the  battle  was  a 
long !  and  hard  one,  but,  once  won,  it  is  a  permanent  gain 
for  humanity.  The  dire  evils  predicted  have  not  come, 
neither  has  the  easily  prophesied  millennium;  but  gain 
has  been  made.  God's  purposes  move  slowly,  but  they 
never  go  backward. 

2.  The  future  struggle. — It  needs  to  be  pointed  out  that 
we  are  mo\'ing  over  the  ground  where  the  real  battles  of  the 
future  are  to  be  fought.  This  harmless  question  about  the 
Kingdom  really  means  this :  Can  the  moral  principles  and 
ideals  of  Jesus  Christ  be  applied  fully  to  human  society? 
There  is  no  question  as  to  their  application  to  the  individ- 
ual. We  know  that  a  sinning  individual  can  be  saved. 
We  know  that  an  evil  character  can  be  redeemed.  And 
we  all  rejoice  over  the  finding  of  the  one  sheep  which  had 
strayed  away  from  the  fold.  There  is  no  conflict  about  all 
that. 

But  regarding  this  extension  of  the  ideals  of  Jesus  to 
include  the  w^hole  of  human  society  there  is  the  sharpest 
division  of  opinion.  Battle  grounds  change  from  genera- 
tion to  generation.  There  is  comparatively  little  conflict 
to-day  over  the  question  of  the  most  careful  and  scientific 
study  of  the  Bible.  The  boys  and  girls  in  our  church 
schools  are  having  the  advantages  of  approved  methods 


124  SOCIAL  EELATIONSHIPS 

and  apparatus  of  study.  But  the  battle  for  the  ideals  of 
Jesus  as  including  society  as  well  as  the  individual  has 
not  yet  been  won.  So  a  man  will  sometimes  vote  for  a 
candidate  who  does  not  come  anywhere  near  being  the  sort 
of  person  likely  to  promote  the  reign  of  God  among  men. 
A  man  will  complacently  accept  profits  that  have  violated 
the  principle  of  the  worth  of  human  personality.  He  will 
think  one  way  of  his  obligation  as  a  church  member,  an- 
other way  of  his  obligation  as  a  business  or  professional 
man.  The  ethics  of  Jesus  touch  us  where  we  live  six 
days  of  the  week.  For  long  we  have  known  that  they 
had  something  to  say  about  one  day  of  the  week. 

The  Peivilege  and  Duty  of  the  Christian 

1.  To  know  the  truth. — The  Christian  must  live  with 
the  teaching  of  Jesus  until  he  comes  to  have  a  clear  idea 
of  what  it  is.  Then  he  will  realize  how  utterly  reasonable 
it  is.  He  will  see  that  no  other  way  than  Jesus'  way  is 
rational.  The  appeal  of  its  own  truth  and  duty  will  cap- 
ture his  intelligence,  his  interest,  his  personal  power.  He 
will  come  to  know  that  he  has  found  a  great  cause  to  which 
he  may  dedicate  his  life. 

This  does  not  mean  that  he  will  necessarily  enter  some 
special  field  of  service.  The  fact  is,  the  cause  is  as  broad 
as  the  whole  field  of  human  action.  We  need  ministers 
and  missionaries,  but  we  need  Christian  merchants  and 
factory  operatives,  politicians  and  editors.  For  every  legi- 
timate occupation  is  to  be  brought  under  the  sway  of  the 
ideal  kingdom.  It  can  be  done  only  by  those  who  know 
what  that  ideal  is  and  believe  that  it  can  be  established 
in  the  hard,  actual  conditions  of  human  affairs. 

2.  To  be  tolerant. — Many  good  men  honestly  doubt 
whether  the  ideal  of  the  Kingdom  is  anything  more  than 
an  ideal.  Just  how  they  establish  their  devotion  to  Christ 
on  a  reasonable  basis,  it  is  hard  to  see.  But  the  facts 
are  as  they  are.  Patience  does  not  mean  that  we  have 
any  doubt  as  to  the  validity  of  our  own  conviction.  A  toler- 
ance that  seeks  to  see  the  truth  in  the  view  of  a  man  who 
differs  from  us  is  very  often  the  means  of  giving  us  a 


A  PRACTICAL  IDEAL  125 

fresh  hold  upon  the  truth  to  which  we  have  committed 
ourselves. 

Sometimes  men  grow  impatient  and  harshly  blame  others 
for  what  seems  to  be  their  acceptance  of  things  as  they 
are,  for  the  sake  of  personal  ambition  and  material  gains. 
Little  is  gained  by  that  temper  of  mind.  Especially  do 
those  young  in  years  need  to  remember  this  truth.  Take 
the  method  of  Jesus  himself  as  your  pattern. 

3.  To  pay  the  price. — Be  prepared  to  pay  the  cost  of 
your  service  of  Christ  and  humanity.  Someone  has  paid 
the  cost  of  our  liberties  and  privileges:  why  should  not  we 
in  turn  be  willing  to  pay  a  part  of  the  price  of  the  great- 
ening  good  of  the  world?  Jesus  himself  told  us  that  his 
service  requires  the  payment  of  a  price.  He  heroically  met 
the  test  himself  and  paid  the  price.  Evil  and  sin  are  still 
abroad  in  the  earth.  They  are  very  powerful.  They  are 
often  intrenched  where  we  least  expect  to  find  them.  But 
the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  earth  is  bound  to  win  out.  Let 
us  take  our  part  as  good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the 
warfare  by  which  peace  and  good  will  are  to  be  established 
throughout  a  worldwide  dominion. 

Questions  for  Discussison 

1.  What  qualities  of  the  citizen  of  the  Kingdom  are  most 
difficult  to  cultivate  to-day? 

2.  Name  some  of  the  facts  about  modern  society  which 
make  it  hard  to  apply  the  principles  of  the  Kingdom. 

3.  Why  do  men  believe  that  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
is  able  to  redeem  not  only  the  individual  but  human 
society? 

4.  If  individuals  are  saved,  one  at  a  time,  will  this  fulfill 
the  expectation  and  purpose  of  Jesus? 

5.  Do  you  know  of  any  situation,  historically  or  from 
your  own  observation,  in  which  the  ideals  of  the  Kingdom 
have  been  very  fully  realized  ? 

6.  Why  should  the  church  take  an  open  stand  against 
those  who  oppose  the  application  of  the  principles  of  Jesus 
to  the  social  order? 

7.  Is  it  reasonable  to  expect  marked  progress  of  the 
Kingdom  ideal  in  this  generation?    In  what  directions? 


Date  Due 

F  22'38 

my .« -  '43 

f 

